Forever Silent
by iluvEdo
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, a prominent business man, never gets a day of peace or an ounce of silence. But what happens when he gets exactly what he wants? Will the silence be too much to bear? SasuxNaru and other various pairings
1. Answer Me

**Title: **Forever Silent

**Beta'd By:** Moiraine Lendreth

**Summary: **Uchiha Sasuke, a prominent business man, never gets a day of peace or an ounce of silence. But what happens when he gets exactly what he wants? Will the silence be too much to bear?

**Rating: **Teen

**Pairings: **SasuNaru and other various pairings

**Warnings**: Be aware of slight language, adult situations, and pairings. **(Yes, this is Yaoi)**

**Disclaimer (Applies to all chapters): **I do not own Naruto in any form.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Answer Me**_  
_

A tired, dark haired man leaned his forehead against the cold windowpane, slumping a little as the train pulled out of the station. His bloodshot eyes stared back at him through the foggy glass; he was paler than usual, but that was nothing new. Sudden weather changes always affected him in more ways than one. Straightening up in the seat, his red eyes drifted to the leather briefcase perched on the top shelf. He detested that briefcase and its contents. Inside were countless tasks and a mountain of paperwork that needed to be completed before the week was over; it was frustrating. He barely had a life as it is…no thanks to his brother. Pushing back fallen strands of his dark hair and sighing in defeat, he turned bleakly back out the window, to wait out the long journey home.

He may not look it right now, but he was Uchiha Sasuke, the CEO of Uchiha Transportation Services. After inheriting the business at the young age of sixteen when his parents died in a fatal car crash, he had been forced to live up to the standards of a hardworking, dedicated company executive—albeit one without any sort of social life whatsoever. It should have been his brother suffering this torture, but Uchiha Itachi disappeared after that fatal night, and Sasuke has only seen him twice since then. Not that he minded in the least; those were two times too many considering the man deserted him.

Now, several years later, Sasuke has recently celebrated his 23rd birthday (a glass of champagne and a short toast) and he's the richest man in Tokyo. Alone, true, but still rich.

Hah. Like he gave a damn.

The vibration of his phone sent waves through his coat pocket, startling him from his thoughts. The man fingered the flap thoughtfully, pursing his lips before answering the phone.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Sasuke, we have a problem. Yamota-san just fired three people from the Finance Department. They were supposedly siphoning cash from several project budgets while tweaking with the financial statements."

The young CEO rubbed his temples to ease the oncoming headache.

"So you are telling me we just fired three people and let them go with our stolen profits? That's just perfect. Do me a favor and bring them up on charges. We can't just let them go like that…and find me some replacements ASAP. Post flyers, put ads in the papers, do whatever it takes—just get me some people. Once you do that, notify me about the appointments. I'm going to screen these people myself. You got that?"

"Yes, I'll start immediately. Anything else?"

Sasuke considered for a moment. "Yes, schedule the appointments later on in the week. I won't be in for a few days. I need a break, or else I swear I'm going to break down if I don't get some sleep."

A chuckle from the other end. "Understood."

"Thanks, Kakashi." The Uchiha closed his phone shut. His headache seemed to intensify from the news he received. Anymore news like that and he might just go crazy. Sasuke sighed and returned to gazing out the window. It would be about another hour before he made it home, and the idea of sleep seemed just perfect.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX****XXXXXXXX**

The train pulled to a halting stop as it reached the station. The poor braking made the young Uchiha hit his head on the window, his eyes opening blearily to the already-dark sky. Glancing at his watch, he grabbed his briefcase from the top shelf and peeked out of the compartment. Everyone was filing out, dragging their huge bags and suitcases; he scowled. He hated waiting, and it was evident that he'd have to sit for a good while more before he could get off the train without getting squished between bulky luggages. Sighing, he decided to wait before his headache caused him to pass out and sat back down. After about fifteen minutes, the train was empty except a few older passengers. Sasuke took his briefcase with a huff once more and headed for the open doors.

As he reached the exit, Sasuke caught sight of a young man sleeping soundly in one of the seats, his blond hair spiking wildly in every direction. A dribble of drool trailed the corner of his slightly open mouth. Sasuke contemplated on whether to wake him up before leaving. His groaning muscles and persistent headache answered for him; besides, the blond haired man looked comfortable where he was.

He continued to walk briskly to the station entrance, hoping to catch a passing taxi. As luck would have it, there was a taxi already waiting when he got there; Sasuke's mood lifted slightly. Maybe his day would not be a total wreck after all. He thanked the heavens silently as he made it to car. The driver rolled down his window as he approached.

"Are you Uchiha Sasuke?" the man asked. Sasuke grunted before pointing to a huge billboard with his face plastered on it.

"Does that answer your question?" he snapped. His response wasn't intended to be harsh, but bloodshot eyes, a fatigue-ridden body, and a growling stomach could make anyone angry. Surprisingly, the driver was not fazed. He was a middle-aged man who seemed to have dealt with all kinds of people and was content with his job. His brown hat leaned to the side as he took a swift of his cigarette and turned around.

"Yeah, I was just making sure because I'm here to pick you up. I got a call from someone named Hatake Kakashi."

"Hn." The Uchiha opened the door, tossing his bag in the seat. He couldn't figure out why Kakashi didn't send him his limo instead. Though, if you knew Kakashi, he would be too lazy to do things like that and manage to be incredibly late for every appointment, too.

He closed the door and the driver was about to pull off when he heard a commotion outside. A young man was pushing past people with his bags and running to a taxi. To _his_ taxi, to be specific. The Uchiha gave the man a long look before realizing that it was the same man he saw sleeping on the train.

The blond dropped his bags on the pavement alongside the taxi. He looked quite winded, his face flushed from running, as he searched in his bag for something. He eventually found what he was looking for and held it through the window to the driver. The driver read it silently before turning to his passenger in the backseat.

"This fellow here needs to get to the other side of town before midnight. He was wondering if he could share the fare with you. So what should I tell him?"

"Tell him…" the Uchiha looked over the blond, taking in his ruffled clothes and sweaty, panting face. "Fine."

When the driver nodded to the young man still standing outside, he broke into a wide grin that lit his entire face. Sasuke blinked in mild astonishment. He didn't think anyone could smile like _that_. He watched the man heave his baggage into the taxi's trunk before sliding into the backseat, still grinning from ear to ear at the driver. He didn't say a word though. This angered Sasuke somewhat, who had been brought up under the impression that everyone must be treated with courtesy, no matter the social standing. On hindsight though, his anger could be blamed on his broody mood.

The ride was a quiet one; except for the driver's occasional cough and the whoosh of passing cars, there was no sound inside the car. Sasuke was finally beginning to relax, knowing that in a few minutes he would be home, but something about the man next to him nagged at his brain. He supposed it was because the man didn't talk, but he wasn't quite sure. The blond sat very still, his eyes focused out the window for the past fifteen minutes, his face devoid of any emotion. It was a sharp contrast to the grin he had sported when he climbed in. It was pretty unnerving. The Uchiha cleared his throat before asking a question, suddenly feeling the silence become oppressive.

"Are you new to this part of town?" The blond turned to him, his eyes boring into Sasuke's face before nodding. His eyes were what struck the businessman most. They were a deep, hypnotizing crystalline blue that seemed like endless pools.

"You know…you shouldn't be sleeping in trains. You can get robbed that way." The blond seemed to consider his words before shrugging and turning back to the window.

"Hn. Then get robbed," the Uchiha said tersely, agitated by the other passenger's rudeness. The blond said nothing in response.

Shortly after, they arrived at a housing complex in the middle class part of town. The blond pulled out his wallet and gave the driver half of the fare before exiting the car. On his way out, Sasuke saw the wallet slip out of the other's pocket and drop onto the car seat. He quickly stepped out of the car as the blond retrieved his items from the trunk.

"You dropped this." The blond made a face before reaching for his wallet. The Uchiha pulled it back, just out of reach.

"Not until you tell me your name. I haven't heard you say one thing." The blond glared and attempted to reach for his wallet again. Sasuke pulled it out of reach again, and he frowned.

"Just tell me. I'll tell you mine…I am Uchiha Sasuke," The blond stepped back for a minute and stared. His face was unreadable but his blue eyes were glazed over with…what? Disappointment? Sadness? Anger? Something wasn't right, but he nodded and held out his hand in agreement just the same. Sasuke placed the wallet in his palm as he waited for a response.

There was none, just the rustle of the trees.

The blond picked up his bags and started walking up to the apartment building, leaving a confused CEO. Sasuke quickly followed him into the building.

"Alright, fine. I can understand if you won't tell me your name or anything. But is it too much to ask to hear you say 'thank you'?" The blond looked at him as if he wanted to say something, but held out his hand instead. A handshake of apology, Sasuke supposed; he pushed the hand away.

"Don't tell me you're a mute or something," He said mockingly, his lips turned into a smirk.

The blond's eyes changed to a dusky blue before setting his lips to a firm line. Sasuke noticed the quick change in the atmosphere and studied the blond's reaction. The blond seemed offended but before he could define what happened, a tan hand grabbed the silver doorknob and opened the door. He gave Sasuke one last glance before closing the door in his face. Sasuke stood there confused and unaware before walking back out to the taxi.

_Did I say something wrong?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke reached his large estate not long after, not bothering to look at the small roll of bills he threw at the taxi driver as he stepped out. He took his shoes off by the door before walking to the kitchen for a light meal. He found some white rice and vegetable stir fry on the stove left by his personal team of cooks. Sasuke heated himself up a plate of food and grabbed a glass of wine before walking to his study, seriously considering giving his kitchen staff a raise. He really wasn't paying them enough for their dedication and flawless service.

He plopped down on the auburn sofa in the study, preferring to enjoy his meal there. Sasuke felt so comfortable in the room for some reason; maybe it was the silence, which he craved more than anything. As he finished his plate, his thoughts strayed back to the blond in the taxi. He still didn't know why the man refused to say anything to him…and then slam a door in his face.

But why should he care? It's not like he would ever see the blond again.

Sasuke stood up, stretching his muscles before returning to the kitchen to clean his plate. He washed the plate in hot water before retreating upstairs. His bed looked so inviting at that moment with its silky sheets and double-stuffed pillows, but he needed a shower. Grabbing a pair of boxers and his towel, Sasuke went straight into his bathroom and did just that. The shower wasn't long but it felt so relaxing that when he stepped into his bedroom, he fell face first into his bed. Too bad the soft bed only soothed his body because his headache had yet to go away.

The blond he met earlier was still floating in his head, and he couldn't figure out why that man's reaction bothered him so much. He helped the blond out of pure kindness and what does he get? A door slammed in his face as a 'thank you'; he hadn't even insulted him to deserve such treatment! All he said was _'Don't tell me you're mute or something.'_ What's wrong with that?

_Wait…_

_Hold on…_

_Maybe he was mute… _

_Damn._

Uchiha Sasuke did not get much sleep that night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Hope you enjoyed the edited version!  
Reviews are appreciated :)  
**


	2. Awake Me

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone. Enjoy :-)  
Special thanxs to my beta, Moiraine Lendreth  
**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 2: Awaken Me**

Soft light filtered through the window, giving Uzumaki Naruto's face an ethereal glow. His clear blue eyes stared at the ceiling, his expression smooth and inscrutable. He looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, though in truth he was already two years past twenty. He shifted underneath the sheets, eyes relaxed as he enjoyed the comfort of his new bed. His previous residence lacked the comfort of one, nor did it have a sanitary kitchen. Most importantly, it did not have a family he could come home to. Here he had all three, and he relished in that thought more than anything. Especially the family bit.

There was a soft knock, and the door opened to reveal a busty blond woman, her smooth complexion and sharp features belying her true age. Naruto smiled as his aunt Tsunade entered the room with a grin of her own. On his eighteenth birthday, a lawyer called him about his father's will, saying that his parents had left him a reasonable amount of cash and some of his personal belongings, along with a generous share for Naruto's aunt. It was the first time he had learned that he still had living relatives, and Naruto decided to contact her immediately.

It seemed that Tsunade had not been aware she had a nephew, too, because of a twenty-year quarrel she had with her brother Minato. Still, she had been very enthusiastic to learn of Naruto, and was even very persistent for him to come live with her. Naruto outright refused the offer at first, wanting to remain alone, but as his condition affected his life further he decided he would live with his aunt until he could get his life organized.

The woman opened the two windows in Naruto's room, letting in fresh air before tapping the young man to get up. Naruto shifted, his smile turning into a grimace, and shoved his head under the pillow, clearly having no intention to get up.

"Get up Naruto. It's such a nice day…you should go out and familiarize yourself with the area. I know you haven't seen much because you got here late last night," Naruto glanced at her from under the pillow before sitting up on the pile of sheets with a childish pout. The woman smiled to herself as she looked at Naruto. He looked so much like her brother; it brought back fond childhood memories. She just wished she could have made more memories before he died.

"Now that you are wide awake…what would you like for breakfast?" The blond looked deep in thought before grabbing a pad and pen from the side drawer. His aunt looked curious at these strange actions as Naruto scribbled down his favorite foods; she supposed she would just have to get use to it. Naruto handed her the pad a second later, looking at her intently for a reaction.

"Hmm…let's see…you like ramen, eggs, pancakes, and applesauce for breakfast. Well, I don't have ramen or pancake mix… so how about I fix you some eggs with applesauce on the side?" Naruto nodded in response before standing and retrieving clean clothes.

"I'll let you get ready, so let me know if you need anything," Naruto smiled and nodded in response as he made his bed. The blond woman spared him one last glance, lips frowning a bit, before walking out the room. It hurt her to see her nephew, so young and innocent, to be so traumatized that he wouldn't even speak. She silently made a vow to herself to help him find his lost voice no matter the cost.

'_Naruto…you are too bright to be silent.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A loud buzzing sound echoed through the room as a phone vibrated against a slick dresser. The owner of the phone was currently smothering himself under his pillow as the phone continued to vibrate. Uchiha Sasuke was tired. It showed over his features as red dilated eyes stared at the ceiling. His wretched phone would not stop ringing, neither would his house phone. With new-found anger, he stood up, opened the window, and threw the house phone outside. The phone hit one of his gardeners but he could care less. Next, he took his cell phone and pushed the '**Off**' button. That was a big step considering he could never turn his phone off; it was too risky when investors might call at any time. Right now Sasuke did not care; he resettled himself back on his bed and attempted to drift to sleep. It was an arduous task. He couldn't find that comfortable spot on his bed, the buzzing still seemed to ring in his head, and those blue eyes from last night seemed to haunt him.

Sasuke sighed and sat back against the headboard, knowing sleep was impossible. He needed some sleeping pills and he needed them immediately. He also needed a massage to relieve his muscle tension. He stepped out of bed, changing into a decent set of clothes before heading to the bathroom for a morning fresh-up. He was going to relax for a couple of days and was going to take full advantage of the opportunity. After finishing upstairs, Sasuke headed towards the kitchen for breakfast. His cook, Chouji, had fixed him eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, and a mug of fresh _black _coffee. Sasuke hated cream.

"Relaxing today, Uchiha-san?" Chouji asked.

"I'm going to try," Sasuke flipped through the paper. "Tell me…do you know of any good spas?" Chouji smirked.

"Actually, I do. My wife and I sometimes go to Konoha Spas; they are excellent at massages and their saunas are amazing. They are specially scented for your liking. I'm really into the Strawberry Sauna, you walk out smelling fruity."

"Hn. Call them for me, I'm going."

"Will do."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat at the table, slowly eating his food as he scanned the paper. He was looking for a job, but it was difficult considering his lack of speech. Tsunade said he didn't have to look for a job, but he didn't want to seem like he was freeloading.

Naruto mindlessly stirred his applesauce as his thoughts drifted to last night, drawing his brow into a deep furrow. That man in the taxi was such an asshole. How dare he use his wallet for blackmail and then insult him? He had another thing coming if he was going to mess with Uzumaki Naruto. He may be mute, but it didn't mean he was stupid or hard of hearing. He was actually really good in mathematics and hoped to have a related occupation.

He watched his aunt wash up the remaining dishes before she grabbed her jacket from the closet.

"Naruto…I have to go work down at the hospital but I want you to go sight-seeing. It would be fun; you might be able to find a job, too. Though I really wish you wouldn't work. Don't forget your keys and button up when you go outside. If you need anything, text me or email me, okay?" Naruto nodded and smiled. It was only the first day and his aunt was already mothering him, but Naruto didn't mind. It brought back memories of his own mother.

"Alright, see you when I get back." Tsunade walked out the door, closing it with a soft click. Naruto stared at the closed door before walking towards the window. The city was vibrant in the daytime: people flooding the streets, coffee in their hands with smiles on their faces. This was such a new environment from before that he took the time to just enjoy it. After contenting himself with the view Naruto quickly grabbed his shoes and coat from the closet. He threw them on before grabbing his keys and headed outside. He was going to see what this city really had to offer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Uchiha lounged out in the study with the paper in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He couldn't decide whether to should turn it on and handle his business properly or shove it under the couch. After some serious thought he decided to shove it under the couch and finish reading the paper. He was close to dozing off before a knock resounded through the room.

"Come in," Sasuke shouted hoarsely. The door opened revealing Chouji and another man dressed all in black.

"I figured you would want to arrive at the spa as soon as possible, so I got them to check you in early. This man next to me is your security escort."

Sasuke glared. "Who said I needed a security escort? I can handle myself just fine."

Chouji winced at his employer's murderous scowl, but did not show it. "Kakashi-san ordered me to hire you one since he could not join you." Sasuke's anger flared at the thought of Kakashi interfering in his life. He still didn't know why he kept that man around so long.

"Well, I order you to fire him. I don't need an escort. You need to remember who writes your paychecks every week." Chouji was not fazed by the harsh tone. It was common in the Uchiha compound. The same could not be said of the escort, who blinked helplessly at Sasuke before turning to Chouji, who only sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, about that…Kakashi said to call him if you had any problems with these arrangements." Sasuke glared even harder at the two men before him. He didn't want to call Kakashi because that would mean turning his phone on.

"Hn."

Chouji took that as the response and instructed the security man to wait by the limo. He gave Sasuke one last glance before walking out the door.

Sasuke sat up, tossing the paper on the table before following suit. His bags were placed in the limo as he grabbed his coat and shoes.

'_Should I take that wretched phone?'_

Sasuke walked back into the study, grabbing his phone from under the couch before placing it in his pocket. He supposed he would turn it on when he returned from the spa…which would be three days from now.

Closing the door to the study, Sasuke headed to the limo for a few days worth of relaxation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto was currently standing in front of the Kabuki-za theatre. The '**Now Hiring**' sign posted in big Japanese lettering was calling out to him, but he was a bit skeptical about walking into the theater. He couldn't speak, so what could he possibly do? He could escort people to their seats but what if they asked a question? Could he just pull out a pad and pen? They would probably think he was rude. Naruto gave the theater one last glance before continuing his walk. It's been over two hours and he still couldn't find a suitable job. Maybe his aunt was right; maybe he shouldn't work at the moment.

Naruto continued his walk to the Shinbashi area where there was a thriving business plaza. He figured he would take the monorail to the other part of town to see if there were any more job opportunities. As he boarded the monorail, a large billboard caught his eye. In big, bold black letters it said, '**OFFERING FAST TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DAILY, RIDE WITH UCHIHA CORPORATIONS'. **Next to the lettering was a young man with ebony colored hair and dark eyes. He had that model look going on, in Naruto's opinion. Underneath the picture were small letters that read, '_Uchiha Sasuke_.' Naruto paused for a moment; he had seen the man before, hadn't he? The name sounded so familiar, too. Suddenly the image of the rude man from last night flashed in his mind.

Wait…hold on.

Naruto replayed last night's conversation in his head; some time during their one-way communication the man gave his name.

"_You dropped this." Naruto made a face before reaching for his wallet. The man pulled it back, just out of reach._

"_Not until you tell me your name. I haven't heard you say one thing." Naruto had had enough and glared before attempting to reach for his wallet again. It was once again pulled out of his reach. Naruto could feel a nerve tick on his temple._

"_Just tell me. I'll tell you mine…I am Uchiha Sasuke."_

Naruto frowned as he looked up at the billboard. It was the same man from last night. _Who knew that bastard was an important business figure? Heh, whatever; it's not like I'm going to meet him again. Oh wait; if he's so rich why'd he take the train? Was he broke or something? _Naruto grabbed a seat by the window and watched the passing scenery. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the man next to him.

"Yo."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke dropped his bags at the door of his room—the Executive Suite, of course—before flopping on the bed. It felt so great to be away from home with no one to hassle you. Sasuke turned towards the window where he saw his own personal hot spring, steam rising from the water. It looked so relaxing that the Uchiha quickly changed out of his clothes, eager for a long, relaxing soak. As he dipped his body in the water, he swore he was in heaven. His body had never felt that good considering his lack of a sex life.

Sasuke closed his eyes before submerging his head under water and coming back up with his skin flushed from the steam. That was all it took for his body to relax completely and drift him off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto turned his head to see a grey haired man with a black mask covering half of his face. Naruto continued to stare as he thought of all the possible reasons for someone to wear a mask. The man, on the other hand, just coughed hoping to grab his attention.

"You know…it's not polite to stare." Naruto gave the man an apologetic look before turning away.

"So Blondie, I haven't seen you around these parts…you new?" The man asked. Naruto winced at the blonde comment but slowly nodded his head, wondering where this conversation was going.

"Please excuse me, my name is Hatake Kakashi. Yours?" Naruto dug in his pocket for his wallet.

"Oh…I don't need money. I just wanted to know your name." Naruto grimaced before pulling out his I.D card. He showed the man, pointing to his name. Kakashi appeared to be smiling.

"Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you. Tell me…do you talk?" Naruto bit his lip and shook his head.

"Interesting…well Naruto, where are you heading?" Naruto grabbed his pad and pen from his pocket, writing a small note. He handed it over a second later.

"In search of a job, you say? Well, this must be your lucky day because I'm in search of some new employees. Tell me…are you good with dealing with money and handling budgets?" Naruto snatched his pad, writing '**Yes**' in big letters before throwing in some of his specialties in mathematics. Kakashi chuckled.

"I see…would you like to do an interview sometime this week?" Naruto grinned and nodded as Kakashi handed him a business card.

"How about three days from now at 3:00 p.m? Here's my card; e-mail me if something comes up." Naruto smiled and watched as Kakashi stood up.

"Great. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get going. It was nice meeting you." Naruto shook his hand and watched the man leave. He could not believe he actually found a job; his luck must be getting better.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke woke up to the sound of rustling water at the other end of the spring. A fog seemed to block his vision as someone moved closer. Sasuke frowned; everything seemed to be in slow motion, and his senses felt dulled.

"Who's there?" The only response was a splash of water. Sasuke stood up, moving closer to the source as it came into view.

"Who are you?"

Wide eyes opened, the blue color withstanding the fog. Sasuke stood there motionless; he couldn't see the face, just the eyes. Slowly, the water started swirling as the figure went underwater. It was not long before a hand pulled him under. Sasuke kicked, struggled, did everything in his power to get free, but it just made him go deeper.

Suddenly, everything seemed to freeze. The water stopped moving and the water pressure evaporated as the figure came closer. Sasuke floated, too traumatized to move before closing his eyes and praying to the gods, _'Please don't let me die. Let this not be real_.' He slowly opened his eyes, and came face-to-face with startling blue eyes. But he still could not see the face; it was as if the eyes were all that drew him in. It took him a moment to realize it was the man he met last night, and he was smiling. Sasuke gasped, and everything came crashing down like a broken mirror.

Onyx eyes opened to the dark sky and quickly glanced around. The Uchiha noticed he was still in the hot spring, where he had fallen asleep.

_It was all a dream? _Sasuke stood up, grabbing his towel near the spring's edge. His body was starting to ache all over after being submerged in the hot water for too long. He mumbled something about getting red splotches before stepping out and giving the spring one last glance.

_I must be going crazy…what have I done to deserve this? _Sasuke walked back into his room to lie down on his bed. He still couldn't figure out why that blond was on his mind and closed his eyes.

_What was the dream supposed to mean anyways?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto reached home a quarter to nine after exhausting himself from sight seeing. The shops were nothing like he had ever seen before; everything was so new, the colors and textures so vibrant that he had to pick up a few items. He managed to buy five packs of fine ramen, a sleeping cap with a cow on it, his favorite 'Ninja' show box set, and a particular magazine with Uchiha Sasuke's face on the cover. If you asked him why he brought the magazine, he would just shrug and point to the price when in reality, the Uchiha had been on his mind all day and he wanted to know more about him.

As Naruto walked into the kitchen, he found his aunt fixing him a plate of food. It was ramen, his favorite food in the world. Tsunade smiled when she saw Naruto enter through the front door.

"I went to the store and brought you some ramen. I know it's your favorite, so come and eat." Naruto grinned and sat down eagerly at the table, eyeing the bowl of ramen with delight. It didn't take him long to finish his meal and empty his glass of water. Tsunade laughed and sat down.

"I see someone was hungry. So what did you do today?" Naruto pulled out the items in his bag and showed her what he brought. He kept the magazine in his lap though.

"Hmm…this is some interesting stuff. I like the sleeping cap." Naruto smiled and slowly placed the magazine on the table. Tsunade looked at the cover.

"What's this?" Naruto pointed to the man on the cover as if asking, _'Who's this man?' _Tsunade nodded.

"Oh…Uchiha Sasuke. He's the youngest CEO in Tokyo and the eye candy of many women. If I were just a couple years younger…" Tsunade seemed to drift off into a fantasy as Naruto gave her an odd look. "Okay, maybe twenty years younger… then I would try to get with him. But even if that was the case, it would be impossible. Sasuke's personality is very…umm…distant. He doesn't let anyone get close enough to know him. It's pretty sad actually; this all started when his parents were killed." Naruto's eyes widened a bit before frowning. He pulled out his pad and pen before writing, "_How did they die?" _Tsunade ran her fingers through her blond hair.

"Umm…I believe it was a car crash…not really sure. But I do know he was about fifteen or sixteen when it happened. If I look into my stuff I might be able to find the article about the incident." Naruto nodded and placed the magazine back in his lap.

"Was there a reason you wanted to know about him?" Tsunade questioned. Naruto shrugged and wrote on his pad, _"I met him last night." _His aunt smirked.

"Oh really…what was he like?" Naruto took his pad and wrote in big letters, **'BASTARD.' **Tsunade chuckled and stood up.

"Doesn't surprise me…well, good night Naruto. I have an early shift tomorrow." Naruto nodded and watched her leave the kitchen before taking out the business card he received. He forgot to tell her the good news. It could wait for later though because who knows…it might not be the job he thought it was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The days passed quickly in Sasuke's opinion as his limo made its way back to his estate. He was able to relax a little at the spa so he couldn't really complain, but that would all fade once he reached his doorstep and turned on his wretched phone. It was times like this when he wished he could just disappear, but it was hardly possible. He couldn't disappear with his brother out there…not yet, anyway.

The limo pulled to a stop at the estate's double door entrance, in front of his million-dollar fountain. Why he allowed himself to spend a million dollars on a fountain he didn't know; but the press seemed to take this as a sign of his confident and intimidating personality, so he let it be. Appearances were of utmost importance in his business anyway. The driver opened the limo door and carried his bags inside. Sasuke on the other hand, stood outside and walked around back. He guessed he should turn his phone on before his workers and business partners showed up at his house. As the phone beeped to life, he saw he had 102 voicemails. He couldn't help but stare.

_How can a phone hold so many voice messages? _Sasuke made a beeline to his study, resigned to spending the rest of the day working. He had a lot of people to call back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat in front of the television, watching his favorite show. Sure the characters were twelve years old, but he couldn't help it. The overall plot was good and it reminded him of himself in a weird, cartoon-ish way. He watched T.V for about an hour before deciding to help his aunt cook dinner.

"Hmm…I was thinking shrimp stir-fry tonight. Do you like stir-fry?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded and quickly held out a piece of paper and a business card. He still hadn't told his aunt about his interview that was scheduled for tomorrow.

"What's this?" She read the paper and looked over the business card. "A job? That's so wonderful! Do you have an interview?" Naruto grinned and pointed to the calendar, showing her it was tomorrow. Tsunade crushed Naruto in a big hug.

"That's great! I hope you get the job," Tsunade gushed proudly. Naruto smiled sheepishly and pulled out the pots for dinner. Hopefully, if things go well…he will have a job to make his aunt really proud.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke fell back on his bed, tie hanging loosely around his neck. He sighed and closed his eyes to relieve the headache that was threatening to make his skull explode. Dealing with people was never his forte; that was what he hired Kakashi for. Apparently though, being absent from the office for a few days had made a few investors and suppliers high strung, wondering where on earth he could have gone. Sasuke rolled his eyes and smothered a snort into his pillow. As if he'd run out on them…if only he could be so lucky to have the privilege.

He was already so close to sleep when his phone went off again. Sasuke groaned out loud before grudgingly answering the phone.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he grumbled into the speaker.

"Hmm, you don't sound so good." Sasuke could literally hear the smirk through the phone.

"Make it quick Kakashi before I hang up," Sasuke grunted.

"Alright, alright…jeesh. I was calling to tell you about your appointments tomorrow. Not that I want to sound smug, but I actually found you some pretty good candidates," Kakashi replied.

Sasuke rummaged through his drawer for a pen and paper. "Alright, tell me their names and their schedules."

"We have Haruno Sakura at 10:30 in the morning, Inuzuka Kiba at 11:30 , Hyuuga Hinata at 1:00 p.m.…"

"Hyuuga. As in related to Hyuuga Neji?"

"They're cousins."

"Right. Anyone else?"

"Yamanaka Ino at 2:00 and Uzumaki Naruto at 3:00 p.m. He's the last one."

"I trust you made sure these people wouldn't be a waste of my time…" Sasuke frowned into the phone, knowing Kakashi would hear the warning in his tone.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure these people will interest you."

"Hn. We'll see." Sasuke closed his phone, frowning. Great, just what he needed; more people to handle. He re-read the list over again before placing it on his side drawer, his eyes drawn to the name at the very bottom of the list.

_Uzumaki Naruto…_

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**Reviews are appreciated :)**


	3. Meet Me

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone, they make me happy. :-)  
Special thanks to my beta: **_Moraine Lendreth_

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?__  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Meet Me**

An alarm clock rang at 6 a.m. sharp, awakening the room's occupant. Sasuke was currently splayed all over his sheets with an arm slung over his eyes. He was seriously starting to debate whether or not to throw the damn clock in the trash when he realized he had set the alarm for a reason: he had _people_ to interview today. He groaned out loud before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and wobbled out of it. It was only morning, and he already felt tired. Had he really just been to the spa yesterday?

Sasuke slowly walked to his dresser, grabbing clean undergarments as he made his way to the bathroom. Flicking on the lights, he rubbed his eyes and glanced in the mirror. He didn't look so well; sick in fact.

_I look like __shit. Wonderful._

Sasuke splashed some water on his face before stepping into the shower. Five minutes under the hot water and sleep was starting to creep up on him again. He quickly finished washing and got ready for work. Once he was ready, he gave himself one last glance in the mirror before heading downstairs. He feared if he stayed up in his room any longer, his bed might claim him for the day.

Walking into the kitchen, Sasuke poured himself a fresh cup of coffee and grabbed the morning paper. Apparently, his business was running smoothly since shares were up that week. He couldn't help but feel smug about that news. It was proving he was better than his twisted brother.

"Morning," Sasuke greeted Chouji entered the kitchen.

"Morning Uchiha-san, would you like anything for breakfast this morning?" Sasuke flipped through the paper.

"No thanks, coffee is fine. Hmm...could you hand me my planner?" Chouji nodded and grabbed his planner from the study. With a yawn, Sasuke scanned it briefly.

Sasuke sighed. He had a meeting with the engine company about the new train engines that morning, and then he had to do those interviews. He also had to go over three contracts with the board. It was going to be a long day, which would require an unlimited supply coffee. He was thinking of bringing the coffee pot to work when his phone vibrated against the table. It was Kakashi.

_What does that man want?_

Sasuke ignored the call, hoping the annoying vibrations would stop. Which it didn't. After three minutes of the irritation buzz the young Uchiha growled and thrust his phone inside the refrigerator. It was his smug way of saying, _'Take that Kakashi', with a nice, loud evil laughter at the end_.

"You know, I wouldn't put that in there." Sasuke almost jumped out of his pants, whirling around to see Kakashi sitting at his table. How the hell did the man get into his house undetected?

"How did you get in here?" Sasuke asked, trying to remain cool and composed. Kakashi shrugged, ignoring the question.

"No breakfast for your guest?" He asked. Sasuke glared venomously before taking a seat at the table. Kakashi smirked, though it was hard to tell with that mask covering half his face.

"If you keep glaring like that, you might really scare the ladies away."

Sasuke only glowered in response. Kakashi sighed, and pulled out a small bottle from his pocket.

"Here, use some of this. You look like you're sick." Sasuke took the bottle and read the label silently.

"Eye drops for eye relief?"

Kakashi nodded. "Have you looked in the mirror recently?" Sasuke's venomous glare came back at full force before stomping off to the nearest mirror.

Surprisingly, Kakashi was right. His eyes were red and his constant glaring was causing frown lines.

_I'm only 23 and I'm starting to look like an old man._

Sasuke grudgingly used the eye drops before pocketing the bottle for later. As he made his way back to the kitchen, he saw Kakashi leaning against the counter.

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding up Sasuke's briefcase.

"Hn." Sasuke grabbed his case and made his way out to Kakashi's car, opening the door to the passenger's seat. Obviously, the man was here to give him a ride. He tried to hold back an annoyed sigh as he turned to Kakashi with a flat expression. "Can you try to actually do the speed limit instead of going slower?"

Kakashi chuckled as he sat in the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway with Sasuke giving him an annoyed look that clearly said, _'What?_'

"Oh, nothing. It's just you remind me of this dolphin I met."

Sasuke gave him another weird look before mumbling, "You need help."

Kakashi just laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Uzumaki Naruto sat crossed legged on his bed, eyes concentrated on the far wall of his bedroom, clearly lost in thought. He really didn't know how the interview would go or what he would really have to do. _What if it was some kind of scam_? _You know…where you have to pay to get the job._ He definitely wasn't falling for that trap again and _what would he wear? _He wasn't into business suits; they were uncomfortable. Naruto frowned before falling back onto the bed. _What was he going to do?_ He needed help. As if in answer to his prayer, his door opened to reveal his aunt holding up a dark blue suit.

"Naruto, look what I found! It was in the attic; it may have been your father's." Naruto stood up and looked at the suit. It was nice, but it was over twenty years old. He walked closer and sniffed; it _smelled_ over twenty years old, too.

"What do you think, Naruto? It needs just a bit of brushing and it'll look brand new," she said excitedly. Naruto didn't have the heart to say no, so he nodded and smiled. His aunt beamed at him. "Here, try it on; come out once you get dressed!" Tsunade left the room. Naruto, on the other hand, just looked at the suit; he couldn't believe it was his father's when he was young.

He carefully picked it up, putting each piece on as if it was fragile and glanced in the mirror. It was true when they said he was the exact copy of his father. Naruto couldn't help grinning as he put on the dark blue slacks. With this new suit, he had more confidence than before. It felt like his father was with him somehow.

He gave himself one more glance before walking out towards the kitchen, shuffling uneasily as he tried to get used to the feel of the clothes. His aunt was in the pantry, looking for some coffee filters.

"Here they are…" Tsunade mumbled to herself and mindlessly walked out of the pantry. She didn't even notice Naruto until she looked up. She was so surprised that she dropped the filters on the floor.

"Minato…" she whispered to herself, one hand automatically climbing to her chest. She couldn't believe her brother was still alive! But then she noticed the three whisker marks on both cheeks. Ah yes, it was Naruto.

"Naruto…the suit…looks great on you. For a second, I though you were my brother," Tsunade said dazedly. Naruto grinned and rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Aww…I need a picture to show Shizune at work," she gushed. "Let me get my camera." Tsunade ran to her room in search of a camera while Naruto grabbed a glass of orange juice and some waffles from the freezer. He was starving.

"Found it!" Tsunade called from her room before entering the kitchen. "Ready Naruto?" Naruto nodded and stood by the wall.

"Okay, grin for auntie!" Naruto obliged by grinning for the first couple of photos. "Okay, do something funny in the next one I take, like stick your tongue out or something." Naruto nodded and stuck out his tongue with the trademark peace sign. Tsunade let out a small laugh and placed the camera by the door.

"I can't wait to get these developed! The hospital will just love these! So, what would you like for breakfast?" Naruto pointed to the box of waffles on the table.

"You want waffles? Okay, how about we add some eggs and applesauce to that?" Naruto grinned happily and watched his aunt walk back into the kitchen. He guessed that for the time being he could watch his favorite ninja show. Team seven was currently in the 'Forest of Death' and he really wanted to know what would happen next. Now why couldn't he be a ninja and have all that adventure?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke tapped his pen against the oak table as the project manager discussed ideas for the new trains. He couldn't see why the engine should be twice its size when the whole point was to decrease the engine size and increase efficiency?

"Tell me…" Sasuke said slowly. "Why am I looking at large-size engines when I came here for designs on _small_ ones? I'm not investing any more money on something I already have." The project manager looked flabbergasted as she thought of something to say.

"I-I'm sorry. We have smaller designs." She quickly rummaged through her bag, pulling out various schematics. "We have this one." Sasuke looked it over skeptically.

"How much power in reference to speed and weight will this be able to hold?"

"The engine can go up to 186 miles per hour and can handle up to 43 tons."

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, who was looking at the schematic right beside his boss. When Kakashi caught Sasuke's glance, he raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think? It's 16 more miles than we have now. The weight seems like it wouldn't be much of a problem."

Sasuke frowned while rubbing his temples in a slow, deliberate manner. "If I go through with this merger, it will be. We will have tripled the amount of people using our services."

"Merger?" Kakashi asked, surprised. _When did Sasuke decide this? _Sasuke gave him a long look, clearly stating, _'This is best for the company.' _Turning his gaze away, Sasuke turned to the woman in front of him.

"Let me see the others, specifically those which can hold more weight."

When Sasuke didn't seem like he would say anything else on the matter, Kakashi decided to speak up. "You can't merge the company. What about the plans left from your family?" Sasuke tapped his pen against the table.

"Their plans are no longer valid. They haven't been since my parents died. I'm doing what I think is best, so don't you dare tell me how to run my company. Now, I'm going to continue looking over the designs; you can either help or just sit there." The poor woman stood there, glancing back and forth between the two men. She felt very uncomfortable stuck in between her company's most important clients who seem to be having a very serious argument.

"Umm…well…here…" she couldn't help shaking like a leaf as she drew up another schematic from her portfolio. "This engine goes up to 192 miles per hour and holds up to 50 tons. This is the fastest and smallest one we have at the moment. If you need an engine that can hold more weight, I can only suggest…the larger ones." Now the room felt extremely small as Sasuke rounded on her with his scowl.

"No, I will go with _that_ one. It fits my needs perfectly." The woman nodded vigorously before grabbing the necessary documents to close the deal.

"Okay, great. Here are some papers I need you to sign; last sheet covers the price breakdown and time span of construction. If you agree, just sign your initials on the dotted line." Sasuke read over the papers. When he was sure everything seemed to be correct he initialed on the dotted line.

"Thank you for your time, Uchiha-san. It was nice doing business with you," the woman slowly held out her hand, inwardly relieved it was over.

"Same here." Sasuke shook her hand nonchalantly, ignoring the soft blush that bloomed on the project manager's features. Uchiha Sasuke might be cold, but he was definitely young and handsome.

"Please excuse me," Sasuke left the room with a curt nod, leaving a dazed project manager and an angry Kakashi.

_I hope I'm making the right choice_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stood in front of the mirror, looking over his suit. He really wanted to make a good impression. He even wrote an outline, listing his areas of expertise. Hopefully, this will be enough to impress the guy he met on the train. _Hatake_ _Kakashi was his name, right? Yeah, I'm pretty sure I had his name right; now all I have to do is act confident. I _can _do this._ Naruto straightened his jacket one last time and left the bathroom. His aunt was currently splayed on the couch watching a sappy romance movie.

"No Ebisu-san, don't leave her! She needs you!" she cried. Naruto just shook his head and rolled his eyes to the ceiling before grabbing his keys from the table. How his aunt could stand to watch those movies was beyond him.

Tsunade dropped her gaze from the screen when she heard Naruto's rustling. "Oh Naruto, you're leaving now?" Naruto nodded. "Okay…good luck hunny. Your good looks will surely get them if not your brains." Tsunade smiled confidently at him. Naruto looked at her, not sure whether to be insulted or flattered.

"It's a compliment sweetie," she said reassuringly. Naruto grinned sheepishly and waved goodbye. For some reason, Tsunade started to break down in tears. He had a fair idea that it had something to do with that movie.

The sun hit his face as he stepped outside. It was a nice day and he had a couple of hours to spare…so why not head to the park? He allowed himself a grin as he turned left at the corner, receiving sultry winks from a group of women passing by. Wait…hang on… Wasn't that a _guy_? Shouldn't he be disturbed by that? But the sun was already warming his back and the sky was such a perfect blue that he only dismissed it as a strange once-in-a-lifetime thing and continued his walk. He was definitely feeling lucky, and it was all thanks to his father's suit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke stared at the pink haired woman in front of him. Pink was an odd color for hair…who would want to have _pink_ hair?

He cleared his throat, curiosity getting the better of him. "Ms. Haruno…your pink hair. Did you dye it?" The woman, Haruno Sakura, blushed. She couldn't believe this handsome man was interested in her hair; she always thought it was ugly.

"Umm…no, Uchiha-san. It's my natural color," she replied with a sweet smile. Sasuke gave her a scrutinizing look before shrugging.

"Hn."_ I guess some people are just born weird. "_So, you said you have been an accountant for five years and worked for Konoha Merchant Services?" Sakura nodded.

"I have all my references if you need them," she said, flipping her hair back on her shoulders. She was hoping to appear attractive, but Sasuke seemed to look anything _but interested_.

He scanned her resume with a black expression. "What do you feel you can bring to this company?"

"Well, I feel I can bring order, organization, and create efficient reports. Also, my mathematical comprehension skills are near perfect," Sakura allowed herself brag; she wanted this job more than anything in the world. This was just one step closer to her dream of marrying Uchiha Sasuke.

"Do you have any criminal charges against you?" Sasuke asked bluntly. Sakura looked like a fish out of water.

"Never. I would never do anything against the law," she said smugly.

"What was your reason for leaving your last job?" Sasuke yawned.

"A new environment. I love challenging myself and working with new people."

Sasuke looked over her file. "It says here you resigned just two days ago."

Sakura forced a smile on her face. She couldn't let Sasuke know she had quit her job just because he was hiring. It would make her seem like she wasn't dedicated. She was, heaven knows, but a job within meters of Uchiha Sasuke was too good to pass up. "You see, two days ago I realized I needed to explore my options a bit more."

Sasuke gave her another scrutinizing look before closing her file. He stood up and held out his hand. "Thank you for your time, Ms. Haruno. We shall contact you tomorrow if you are qualified for the job." Sakura shook his hand and gave him one of her sexiest smiles. It worked on all her other guy friends, so it should work against him.

"No, thank you." Sasuke's face remained emotionless as he looked at her, and she couldn't help feeling disappointed.

"I'll have one of my people escort you out," Sasuke buzzed his hyperactive assistant. Well, he wasn't really his assistant. He was just a helper of some sort. The door opened revealing a man with bushy eyebrows, a bright green suit, and a horrible haircut. His name was Rock Lee. Lee winked at the woman before him.

"Please let me escort you, Ms. Haruno and may I say, you are looking lovely today," Sakura gave a nervous laugh and walked out the door. Lee then gave Sasuke the' thumbs-up' and followed Sakura out. As soon as the door clicked shut, Sasuke hopped onto his office couch for an hour-long nap. He was so exhausted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto slowly walked through the large park and found a shady spot under a large tree. He decided to look up at the sky and count the clouds. His mother always did that with him when he was young and decided to keep up the ritual.

He found a clean spot where there was not much dirt to lie on his back and gazed up at the sky. He started to count in his head and was able to find seven clouds. He closed his eyes and was about to start counting again when someone sat right beside him.

"The clouds are so calm and carefree. It's easy to envy them," the man next to him said. Naruto looked at him and silently agreed with a lazy nod.

"The name is Nara Shikamaru. Yours?" Naruto started to think hard about his I.D card; he didn't remember placing it in his pocket.

Before he could move to pat his pockets though the man beside him spoke up. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. It's too troublesome anyway." Naruto smiled at this guy's airy attitude and continued to stare at the sky. It made him feel at ease. It was rare for Naruto to find such company, and decided to let the man be.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke was doodling. Or more specifically, he was doodling all over his applicant's files, ignoring the fact that he would need to file them later on. He didn't feel like hiring any one of them anyway. He was flat-out bored with all of the interviewees so far; he bet he could have drawn and finished a manga series with his last interview. Inuzuka Kiba was a real bore. That guy was definitely putting up a front; it was like he read the whole dictionary before coming, and the woman in front of him was a nervous wreck. She kept stuttering and blushing even though it was clearly obvious she was intelligent. After all, she was a Hyuuga.

"Umm…h-here a-are my references, U-Uchiha-san," Hyuuga Hinata nervously held out her paper.

"Thank you Ms. Hinata. Your application looks good." _Especially after I include my little drawings." _We shall contact you tomorrow about your new job here at Uchiha Corps."

"I-I g-got the job?" she asked, surprised. People never really hired her because she stuttered too much.

"Yes," Sasuke said slowly and deliberately. He didn't want the information to cause her to pass out. "Your credentials seem suitable for the job."

Hinata smiled. "T-Thank you, Uchiha-san!" Sasuke stood up and held out his hand.

"No, thank you for your time. We really need someone like you." Hinata stood up and shook his hand with a smile.

"Thank you," she then picked up her bag and led herself out. She couldn't wait to tell her cousin, Neji. Sasuke, on the other hand, relocated himself onto his couch. He had another hour of rest he could take advantage of.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat up and glanced at his phone. He had an hour to make it to the other side of town. But considering that he didn't know where he was going, it seemed prudent to get going now. He figured he should ask the guy next to him and pulled out his pad and pen.

"_Can you tell me where this place is? I have to get there in an hour," _Naruto showed Shikamaru the business card.

"I would tell you but that would be too troublesome. So I'll show you instead since I work there." Naruto blinked owlishly at him for a moment before smiling. _Yep, this suit is definitely lucky!_

"You have an interview?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto nodded and brushed off his suit. "Good luck to you; it would be nice to have you around the building." The blond smiled and followed the brunette out of the park.

"I'll drive us there. It's too much of a burden to take the monorail." Shikamaru stopped in front of a red BMW. "Here we are. The company's glorious car and my only mode of transportation." Naruto was buzzing with excitement at that moment. If he got the job, he might get a company car. _A BMW? Sweet._

"Ready?" Shikamaru was already seated in the car while the blond was still drooling at his fantasy. He couldn't wait to tell his aunt of all the perks. He snapped out of his dream a minute later and gave the brunette an apologetic look before sitting in the passenger seat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Was that pink-haired Haruno woman here?" was the first question out of Yamanaka Ino's mouth. Sasuke just closed his eyes for what seemed like forever before opening them.

"Whether she was here or not shouldn't concern you. After all, you are applying for this job, are you not?"

"Yes, I just wanted to point out that she is highly unqualified for the job," Ino said haughtily.

"I'll take that in consideration. So what do you think you can bring to the company?" Ino smiled and basically recited her whole life history. Good thing Sasuke pulled out his colored markers. It would be a waste of time if he couldn't color his future manga.

"Do you have your references?" he questioned as he finished one page of drawings. Ino smacked her papers on the table and smiled.

"Here they are. Printed in big letters so you can see."

Sasuke grunted. "Thank you. We shall contact you tomorrow if you are qualified for the job." _Fat chance of that happening._

"Thank you. I promise if you hire me, you shall not be disappointed," Ino grabbed her bag, shook Sasuke's hand, and escorted herself out the office. She knew Sasuke loved her assertiveness and was not a least bit worried about tomorrow.

Sasuke just watched her leave and slumped back into his seat. He had one more interview to go through. He glanced at his short list. Uzumaki Naruto. The name had a ring to it; maybe this one would humor him in some way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was already a quarter to three. Naruto was currently sitting in the lobby. His interview was in fifteen minutes, and his nerves were starting to get the better of him. What if he screwed up and embarrassed himself?He wished Shikamaru was here, but the man was currently in the lounge fast asleep. He said he wanted to rest up before clocking in. For a moment Naruto shook his head wonderingly at Shikamaru; whoever heard of an employee resting up before going back to work? And in the afternoon to boot?

To ease his nervousness, Naruto walked to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. This always helped cool him down and think more clearly. As he wiped his face, he glanced in the mirror. He looked different somehow; maybe because his eyes were dull as stone. His eyes hadn't shone the way they used to since he was young…maybe that was the problem.

Naruto shrugged it off and tossed the paper towel in the trash bin before straightening his suit. Like his aunt said, if the brains don't sway them, maybe his looks would. He glanced at his watch one last time before exiting the bathroom. He had five more minutes left to compose himself.

Scratch that…one minute left because the guy he met on the train was walking towards him. _Hatake Kakashi was his name, right?_

"Uzumaki Naruto, right? I'm glad you came. Come with me so we can get you started. Do you have all your paperwork and references?" Naruto nodded and showed him his folder. "Good. Follow me." Naruto followed slowly behind and noticed the big metal lettering along the walls: **'UCHIHA TRANSPORTATION SERVICES'.** The situation didn't occur to him 'till he boarded the elevator.

'_Uchiha? Oh…hell no,' _Naruto panicked as they exited the elevator and unconsciously ran straight into Kakashi's back. He would _not_ meet that bastard; no way will he set foot in that office.

"No need to rush, we're here," Kakashi knocked on the door as Naruto gaped like a fish. The name on the door read _Uchiha Sasuke. _He felt like doing those screams in the movies, the ones where the character yells '_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_', but he couldn't do that even if he tried.

"Come in," came a muffled voice from behind the door, and Naruto was pushed into the office before he could escape. Uchiha Sasuke was currently faced the other way towards the window while he stood there, searching for a hiding place. When Sasuke finally turned around and looked up from his folder, onyx eyes met blue and a surprised gasp left his lips.

"It's you…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Reviews are appreciated :-) Sorry to leave you with a cliffy…hehe**


	4. Hire Me

**A/N: Another update. I'm happy this story is going so well! Anyways, special thanks to my reviewers. This time I was able to respond to all of you, if I didn't I'm sorry. :-( **

**Special Thanks to my beta:** Moiraine Lendreth

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,__  
yet not many hear it__  
When was the last time  
__you actually listened__  
to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?__  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

  
_

**Chapter 4: Hire Me**

"It's you…" Sasuke could not believe that of all people, Uzumaki Naruto was the young man he met a few nights ago. This had to be a sign that someone was out to get him; or maybe his mind was playing tricks on him? _That had to be it._ Uchiha Sasuke was having delusions due to lack of sleep. It was only a matter of time before the blond man would disappear and the real Uzumaki Naruto would come striding in from the door.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a minute and reopened them. _He's still here. _He closed his eyes again, more tightly this time, before peeling them open. _Why is he still here? _Sasuke was having a hard time comprehending the situation while the blond stared at him, blue eyes analyzing his every move. Sasuke felt naked under that gaze; it was like those eyes could see into his very soul.

But staring into Sasuke's soul was far from Naruto's mind at the moment; he was battling a range of emotions, trying to find the nearest escape route. He was also trying to decide whether the man in front of him in crazy. Seriously, what would you think if someone kept shutting their eyes and looking at you? He was already halfway to the door when the sound of a chair scraping against the floor stopped him.

"Are you…Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto wasn't sure whether he should answer or not. He _did_ need a job, but was it really worth it to work with someone like this guy? Naruto stared at the doorknob as he thought of his aunt. She had been so proud of him when he told her the news, and he would hate to disappoint her.

He had disappointed his parents before; he couldn't do that to his aunt, too.

The blond turned around to face Sasuke before nodding his head slowly, once. He was going to make the best out of this interview even if it killed him. _I'm going to get this job, crazy boss or not!_

Sasuke sat back down and raised an eyebrow. "Are you just going to stand there? Don't expect me to walk over to _you_."

Naruto clutched his folder tightly and glared. That cocky bastard! _He should be happy that I didn't hit him with this folder! _The blond allowed himself to cool down before casually taking a seat in front of the imposing dark mahogany desk.

Sasuke watched the man in wry amusement, seeing the emotions fly over his tan features, and then acting as if nothing happened. _Very interesting, indeed. _"So," Sasuke began with a smirk, "Mr. Uzumaki, what can you offer Uchiha Corporations? Or is door slamming your specialty?"

Naruto bit his lip as the other night replayed in his head. Nope, it was not wise to slam the door in the face of your future boss. Although in fairness to him, Naruto had no idea this bastard was going to _be_ his future boss.

"Well?" Sasuke folded his hands under his chin and looked at the blond expectantly.

Naruto sighed inwardly. He was so not going to get this job; why did he even bother taking a seat? Lowering his eyes to the folder in his lap, he flipped through his files, pulling out the list he had made which explained his fields of specialization and placed it on the table, pushing it towards the Uchiha. He felt foolish and a downright idiot, playing along with the interview when he had already ruined his chance the other night.

"Impressive…able to produce financial sheets…figure out quotes…adhere mathematic formulas. This is good."

Naruto looked up at the man before him, a little bubble of hope swelling in his chest. Was it possible he was being considered for the job?

Sasuke's next words made his pause. "…But it's not good enough. I need someone who can guide, direct, and motivate subordinates; someone who can handle a competitive atmosphere and difficult situations. And I needsomeone who can communicate. Tell me…can you _communicate_?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow again.

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a blank expression. He couldn't talk and the man in front of him knew that! So why would he ask a question like that? To make fun of him? The blond never thought this man could be so cold-hearted but today it was confirmed. Naruto stood up, eyes downcast and grabbed his folder. He had enough humiliation for the day and was going to leave with the little dignity he had left.

His hand was already closing on the cool brass knob when a hand shot out, closing the door with a sharp click. He glared at the bastard was blocking his only exit. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"Look…I'm…" Sasuke frowned, unable to finish. Apologizing was something he could never do no matter how much of an asshole he really was. He tried a different approach while averting his eyes away from the blond; somehow he found it difficult to stare at his eyes. "I didn't mean for that to come out as it did."

Naruto continued glaring at him, enjoying the way he made the cocky executive fidget uncomfortably. _Was that bastard trying to apologize?_

"It's just…are you really a mute?" Sasuke blurted out without thinking, and immediately regretted it. He had been wondering about it since Uzumaki Naruto walked into his office, but he hadn't really meant to be so blunt about it. _Damn it…all his glaring is making me lose my focus. _

The blond looked down at his folder, feeling a smirk creep up his face. Wasn't his lack of speech obvious? And who uses the word 'mute' so casually these days anyway? He honestly felt a bit insulted; 'speech impaired' would have been more appropriate.

Naruto looked up at him and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something. Sasuke watched closely for some kind of sound, but Naruto just smiled and shrugged as if saying, 'I tried and nothing came out.' Sasuke sensed the dry humor and took that as his answer. The blond was really a mute and he couldn't help but to be more intrigued. Smoothing the frown off his face, Sasuke said, "Well, if you would like…we could resume where we left off."

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair while casting a glance out the window. He could leave, but he wanted to prove something. He wanted to show this Uchiha that he was capable of the job and was not the least bit intimidated. So without a second thought, he handed his file over and resettled in his previous seat, a determined look on his face.

Sasuke allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he flipped through the folder. He was relieved the blond didn't leave. For some reason, he wanted to know more about this man.

"So…" The Uchiha began again, taking a seat. "Do you feel this job is for you?"

Naruto nodded and took out his pad and pen. This action did not go unnoticed by the eldest of the two. The dark-haired man always wondered how people like him actually 'communicated.' Naruto handed him the paper a minute later.

'_I believe this is a work setting I would feel comfortable in. I'm really good in math, so yes, I actually consider this a job for me.' _

Sasuke read the paper over. "I see… so have you done a similar job to this before?" Naruto gave him a thoughtful face before using sign language to say, 'Kind of._'_

Sasuke tapped his pen against his lips_. He uses sign language as well…I'm really going to have to get a book on that..._

"According to your files, you have only recently settled in the area. How long are you planning on staying?" Naruto scratched his head and wrote his response on his pad.

'_I never really thought about it, but hopefully more than a year of employment. I want to make enough money so I can get my own place here downtown.'_

Sasuke nodded at the notepad. "Fair enough. Are you able to work over eight-hour shifts? Are you willing to work overtime?"

By now Naruto was starting to become excited, although he was careful not to show it. Was he seriously going to get the job? The bastard was really offering it to him? He couldn't believe it yet, so he nodded his head slowly.

Sasuke smirked. "Well Mr. Uzumaki, you seem to have sparked my interest. You are now hired as this company's financial manager. That includes being head of the financial department and supervising the other team members. Can you handle it?"

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the man before him. _Financial manager?!_ That job paid big bucks—and he was going to be supervisor over other people!!! He thought he was going to get some boring accountant job. But an _executive_ position? He couldn't even stop himself from breaking out into a grin and grabbing his pen and paper.

'**I CAN HANDLE IT**!' He wrote in big black letters, unable to contain his excitement much longer. He was going to get a company car, have all the ladies swooning over him, and his aunt would be extremely proud!

Sasuke chuckled. "Then I expect to see you first thing tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp. I will be giving a mandatory meeting on our policies and such, assigning training stations, and giving a tour of the building. It's more of getting acquainted with the workplace than anything else." Naruto smiled and nodded his head.

"Oh, one more thing, you are free from criminal charges, correct? I have to do a background check on all my employees. Business purposes, nothing personal."

Naruto's face dropped like a rock. His background was something he did not want brought up. If his boss found out about his past, he would probably think he was a nutcase for sure, and most likely disqualify him for the job.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's reaction and frowned. It seemed the blond had a history…hopefully it wasn't so bad. "Is everything okay?" he asked. Surprisingly, the blond nodded and smiled, though it was obviously strained. He stood up and held out his hand.

Naruto used all his willpower to keep smiling, knowing this was most likely going to be his last time in this office. He wanted to make a good last impression at the very least. Hey, he had been seriously considered for the job, hadn't he?

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Sasuke said, shaking his hand. "I will see you first thing tomorrow."

Naruto hesitantly nodded and grabbed his pad and pen from the desk.

'_Thank you for your time.'_

Naruto turned and left the room, not even bothering to give Sasuke one last glance. He knew the man would think differently of him after this and hoped, just for once, that wouldn't be the case.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke slouched back in his chair and glanced at his list of interviewees. He had already hired Hyuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto, which meant he needed one more person for the financial department. He could choose from Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, and Yamanaka Ino.

"Definitely not blondie," Sasuke murmured to himself and crossed her name off. "Hmm…Inuzuka seemed alright and Haruno…well…she could be useful in some way. A janitor perhaps?" Sasuke allowed himself to chuckle at his own joke before stretching his back muscles. He felt so tense for some reason. Shrugging it off, Sasuke stood up and headed for the meeting hall. He had three contracts to discuss with the board of directors. _Oh joy._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto mindlessly kicked the pebbles strewn along the sidewalk, his thoughts still on the interview he had just bagged…only to be wasted because his past had to be dredged up. For a moment there he thought he'd have the job he had always dreamed of. He kicked another pebble, harder this time, and sighed. He would always be haunted by his past, wouldn't he?

_People think I'm crazy. Always have, always will,_ he thought bitterly, biting his lip. The words stung, but there was nothing he could do when it was the truth.

He rubbed at his eyes furiously, fighting back the tears that blurred his vision. He was _not_ going to cry…he was tired of crying. He had been crying for so long he couldn't even remember the last time he hadn't gone an entire day without it. But he had learned that crying never made anything better; it didn't solve his problem, and it just made him feel weak.

He didn't want to feel weak. He couldn't afford to feel weak.

So he bit his lip until he tasted the iron tang of blood and continued his walk. He could really use a drink.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The meeting hall was lively with discussion as the board members debated over the different contracts. All of them were there: Hatake Kakashi, Suichi Hayate, Hishi Anko, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, Maito Gai, and of course Uchiha Sasuke himself, who ignored most of the conversations. _Hmm…I'm a little hungry. Should I make Kakashi order take out or should I eat at home?_

"I feel we should sign this contract. We should actually care about the environment to stop pollution." Kurenai said offhandedly.

Asuma pulled out a cigarette and lit the tip. "That would cost millions of dollars. Our machinery was built to pollute…we can't change it now."

"We can," Kurenai insisted by pulling out his cigarette. "People like _you_ are polluting the air. I'm surprised we're still able to breathe."

Anko laughed. "I actually like our polluted air. You get that high feeling, ya know?"

"High feeling?! That's bad for our youth! Don't you want the children to grow up to be vivacious and alert?!" Gai said, pumping his arms in the air. Everybody inwardly groaned.

"I agree with Kurenai, we should sign it." Kakashi said lazily. "If we improve our public image by fighting against pollution, people would use more of our services, bringing in more money. Also, this is a contract from the government; we don't want to get on their bad side."

Hayate coughed. "What do you think, Sasuke?"

No answer. The Uchiha was currently in another world as he stared at the papers before him.

Kakashi threw a paper ball at him. "Come back to the real world." This time the Uchiha looked up and glared at him. He wasn't very fond of paper balls. "Tsk tsk…you really need to stop glaring like that." Sasuke glared even harder at the grey-haired man. Kakashi was not fazed. "What do you think of the contract?"

"Contract?" Sasuke asked. Oh right, he wasn't paying attention. "Oh contract. Yeah. That's fine."

Asuma smirked. "Are you serious?" Sasuke nodded his head while keeping a straight face, though he didn't know what he was saying yes to. He didn't mean to space out, but his meeting with Uzumaki Naruto was still floating in his head. And honestly, this meeting was boring him.

Sasuke shuffled his papers together to give his hands something to do. "Let's sign it. It should do the company good…" Sasuke glanced over at Kakashi. The man was smirking because he knew Sasuke was completely clueless. _Smarmy bastard._

"In what ways would it do the company good?" Kakashi asked innocently.

Sasuke tapped his pen against the table, trying very hard not to hurl it straight at Kakashi's smug face. "Umm…you know, bring in profits…help people…" Kakashi had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. The Uchiha sent another glare was sent his way.

Kurenai smiled. "Great choice, Sasuke. I feel this could make a big difference in our environment by decreasing air pollution."

Sasuke gave a confused look. "Huh? Environment? Air pollution?" _What the hell am I about to sign?_

This time Kakashi's laugh flooded the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat at the bar, mindlessly twirling his drink. He was too depressed to even take a sip, instead choosing to watch the ice melt slowly into the glass.

His short-lived success at being accepted for a job kept replaying in his head, with Uchiha's seemingly inconsequential question at the last echoing loudly in his head. Naruto did not want for his employer to know about his past. He had wanted to make a good impression—God knows he _needed _the job—and at the same time gain the man's respect, but that was damn well impossible now.

Twirling his drink a little more, he shot down the glass in one vicious gulp and glanced at his watch. It was late, and his aunt would probably be worried. He paid for his drink and slowly walked out of the bar. There were taxis lined along the side streets and the monorail was up two streets. He chose the taxi for a quicker trip and showed the man his address. As the car pulled off the curb, Naruto glanced out the window and took notice of a star that seemed so insignificant across the great expanse of black sky.

It was all alone.

Small.

An outcast.

_Just like him._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke rubbed his eyes as the clock on his office desk ticked away the hour. It was almost midnight, but he still had to make a few calls for background checks. He had to admit he was very curious about the blond he had interviewed, especially noting his reaction.

Sasuke picked up his phone, rolling over to his 'recent contacts' and pushed call. The other line rang twice before a low voice answered.

"Uchiha-san, how can I be of service to you?" The man asked, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I need background checks on some people. How quick can you do them?"

"Give me a week…or so…"

"Kabuto…" Sasuke growled.

Kabuto laughed. "Just a bit of humor…loosen up. I can fax over the information in five minutes. Give me the names."

"Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata…and Uzumaki Naruto."

Kabuto chuckled. "Uzumaki Naruto, you say? You're in for a surprise."

"What?"

"I'm faxing it over now."

Sasuke did not have too long to wait. His fax machine whirred to life as it slowly printed out what he wanted. Trapping the phone between his chin and the crook of his neck Sasuke took the small sheaf of papers and began rummaging them. Uzumaki Naruto's name in bold, black letters caught his eye. It was a copy of a newspaper clipping. _Now what could Uzumaki have done to make him part of the news? _He dropped the rest of the faxed documents on the table. What he read next made him drop the phone.

**Disturbing Trouble in Suburbs: '15 Year old Murders Own Parents**

_Fifteen year-old Uzumaki Naruto was found covered in his own parents' blood on the night of November 22 when concerned neighbors reported hearing loud noises in the Uzumaki residence earlier that same day. Police had reportedly found the teenager with the murder weapon, appearing to be catatonic until medics rushed him to the hospital, where doctors found that the boy suffered no physical injury. Naruto had previously been confined in a mental institution due to schizophrenia weeks before the murder. At present, he has refused to speak and has mentally shut-down._

**Witnesses claim—**

"Hello?" crackled the voice from the phone on the floor. Sasuke couldn't pick it up; he couldn't even finish reading the paper. The picture at the bottom was enough to make him sick. Blood everywhere…all over the boy…on the walls…on the carpet…he couldn't take it.

Uchiha Sasuke emptied his stomach for the first time in years.

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**Reviews are appreciated :-) Next chapter will have more details about Naruto's past**


	5. Help Me

**A/N: The awaited chapter! Hopefully it will answer some of your questions. Also, I want to thank all my lovely reviewers especially **_lL0tus._ **They mean so much :-)**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Help Me**

It was half past twelve as a blond man stood outside his door. He didn't want to go inside; He couldn't bear to look his aunt in the face and he surely didn't want her to smell the alcohol on him. Leaning his head against the cold door frame, Naruto slid down so he was on his knees and closed his eyes. His head hurt as the memories started resurfacing. He tried so hard to them lock away but now they were taking over. _His parents…that man…blood…being helpless_…flashed everywhere throughout his mind. It made him clench his shirt in agony and slide sideways onto the floor 'till he was on his back. Everything was replaying over and over like a tape and he couldn't stop it. _Blood…screams…more blood…police_. Naruto tossed and turned on the floor, hoping to shake the imagery away but it continued at a faster pace and louder sound. Scratching at the wall, beads of sweat dripped from the man's face as he tried to breathe. He couldn't breathe; it felt like he was being swallowed whole. It was like that time in the hospital, he felt so closed in and lost that everything went completely black. Digging his nails harder into the wall, the blond closed his eyes as his tips started to bleed. At last, everything was completely _black. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade sat worriedly on the green sofa as the kitten shaped clock ticked against the wall. It was almost 1 a.m. and her nephew still hadn't returned. _What if something happened? What if he was lost? What if he was hurt? _Hundreds of questions ran through the blond woman's mind as time ticked away and it wasn't helping with that loud scratching noise out in the hall.

'_Probably some drunk idiot…'_

Grabbing her cell from the side table, Tsunade messaged his cell phone. Hopefully, he would message her back to reassure her of his whereabouts. Time continued to tick as she paced around the living room and her phone still sat motionless, staring up at her, mocking her at her stupidity. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, her nephew would have contacted her by now if he was going to be late. Brushing back her fallen strands and taking a few breaths, she took a seat on the couch to calm down. She may not look like it, but her age was really taking a toll on her health.

'_Oh Naruto…where are you?' _another loud scratch vibrated through the walls. _'What is that damn noise? Don't you people have respect?' _Tsunade stood up with her phone in grasp and slowly walked to the door. She wasn't sure if she should call the police. Opening the door, the blond woman stepped out into the hall to voice her complaints but somehow her voice got caught in her throat. Right before her feet was her nephew, sweating profusely and unconscious.

"Naruto!" Tsunade dropped to her knees gathering the man into her arms, praying for him to wake up. "My poor boy…" left her lips as she blearily reached for her phone.

"Help…my boy is unconscious…" she said between sobs on the phone. "_Please_…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke rinsed his mouth out with water for the third time that night or shall I say morning. He still had the after-taste of vomit in his throat and it seemed never-ending. Loosening his tie a bit, he splashed some cold water on his face and glanced up at the mirror. It looked like he died and came back to life. It sure felt like it too…his head was pounding and his stomach was churning to the point where it hurts.

"You want me dead, don't you?" he murmured to himself. He still couldn't believe the blond he met earlier was a murderer and from the loony bin! The blond haired man seemed like he couldn't hurt a fly but boy was he wrong. The blond could have chopped him up in the office and shoved his parts under the desk. Or maybe that was his plan, once he got hired. Sasuke's eyes widened at the thought...he was basically arranging his own death. Sasuke rubbed his forehead against the glass.

"Damn…" this was so unreal to him that a soft laugh left his lips. "You lost…" he whispered to his reflection. "You fucking lost!" his voice started to rise in pitch. "I escaped you like many times before…you can't catch me!" Now everything was coming out in a maniacal hysteria. "I beat you!! You are not dragging me to the pits of hell just yet!! Not till I'm good and ready…" Sasuke slid down with his back against the wall and looked at the tile before him. "Not till I'm good and ready…"

His phone vibrated in his pants pocket a minute later and the dark haired man unconsciously pulled the phone out. It was Kakashi. He thought about throwing the phone against the wall before deciding to tell the man the good news.

"…"

"Sasuke, where are you? I searched all over the building for you. You need a ride?"

"…"

"Sasuke…" a soft chuckle was heard before he answered weakly.

"Kakashi…he_ lost_."

The phone went dead a second later and Kakashi stared at the blank screen. '_Sasuke…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Miss, you need to calm down. You are not allowed behind those doors. We will let you know if his condition worsens. So please, take a seat in the waiting area," the nurse said sternly at the blond woman before her. Tsunade looked at her as if she was crazy. How dare this so-called nurse tell her to calm down?

"You listen here and listen good, don't you dare tell me to calm down when the only thing I have is behind those doors. Don't you dare tell me to calm down when I know they are hurting him with needles and other shit, and don't you dare tell me to calm down when there is a chance I may never see him again," Tsunade shoved the forms in her hand. "I've been working in a hospital long enough to know what happens behind those doors and it's not something you want to remember, so '**don't. you. dare**.' tell me to calm down," the nurse stood there dumbstruck as the papers lay limply in her hands. She was uneasy about being around this woman any longer so she quickly scurried off to a different post. Tsunade watched her disappear before plopping down on one of those wooden chairs. She was sure…in a matter of time…she would be back there with Naruto. Her heart had about enough stress for the day and her body couldn't handle any more.

'_Oh Naruto…please be okay…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi walked slowly throughout the building, inspecting all the rooms. All of the executive rooms were empty as well as the five meeting halls. That left 4 copy rooms, 36 personal lavatories, and 15 storage rooms to be checked. He couldn't find Sasuke but the said man was in the building. He couldn't have left without being seen especially when you are on the tenth floor.

Walking past the Uchiha's closed office; he noticed a white slip of paper peaking from under the door and picked it up. The print was barely visible in the dark so the grey haired man stepped into the nearest copy room. As he turned on the light, his eyes widened at the heading.

'**15 Year Old Boy-Murdered His Own Parents'**

_15 year old Uzumaki Naruto, son to renowned circuit court judge, Namikaze Minato and well-know actuary from Northern Japan, Uzumaki Kushina was charged with second-degree murder for the death of his parents. Based on accumulated evidence, the boy stabbed both of his parents repeatedly before painting diagrams among the walls with their body fluids. The diagrams have not been identified due to its unique shape but researchers believe it to be a mythological seal of historic demons. Currently, the boy is held in mental confinement due to his lack of mental awareness until further notice. Recent files report he suffers from schizophrenia and was released from Suna Mental Institution just three weeks before the murder. The Institution is under investigation till further notice and the upcoming trial will be based on these findings._

Kakashi allowed his eyes to drift to the picture before taking off down the hall. This was not good. He had to find Sasuke before it was too late.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Tsunade-sama," the voice rang in her head but it wasn't registering.

"Tsunade-sama," the blond haired woman slowly looked up to see her assistant, Mori Shizune. "Tsunade-sama, come with me, you can go see Naruto now."

"I can see him?" Tsunade asked unconsciously. She didn't understand what was going on. It was like her mind was shutting down on her. "They will let me…?" Shizune nodded.

"Yes, his condition is now stabilized. The doctor is waiting for you to explain his diagnosis. So come with me," the blond woman stood up without another word and followed the dark haired woman to the upper level.

"Here's his room, room 316. The doctor is inside waiting for you, I will wait for you downstairs till you are ready. Did you need me to get you anything?" Tsunade glanced at the door and pulled out her cell phone.

"Call Jiraiya; I need him up here immediately," Shizune nodded and took the cell phone.

"What should I tell him if he asks any questions?" Tsunade placed her hand on the doorknob and let out a breath.

"One word: Naruto," Shizune watched despondently as her mentor walked into the room. Time was repeating itself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi stared down the empty corridor. He couldn't find the young man anywhere in the building and it was nerve-wrecking. He searched over several rooms to find nothing and to top it off, his boss wasn't answering his phone.

'_Where are you Sasuke?' _Glancing down at his phone, he redialed the missing man. It wasn't long before it redirected him to the voicemail. _'Damn…' _the grey haired man stood in the middle of the hallway recounting everything his visited. If he was right, it left three male lavatories to be checked.

"Three bathrooms are left on this floor…he has to be in one of them," Kakashi murmured to himself before hurriedly running down the hall.

"Sasuke!" _No response._

"Sasuke!" _Nothing._

"Sasuke!" _Cough. _Kakashi stopped and listened for another noise. Someone had just coughed if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. _Cough. Cough. Cough._

"Sasuke…" Kakashi quietly followed the sound until he reached one of the lavatories. "Are you in here?" he slowly opened the door and gasped at what he saw.

"_Sasuke…"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade entered the room and softly closed the door. There on the bed was her nephew; a deadly pale color contrasting to his usual tan skin and to the right was the doctor, her long time friend and mentor, Sarutobi.

"Dr. Tsunade," he greeted. "How are you holding up?" Tsunade let out a sigh and walked over to the bed.

"Not so well…I thought I lost him. He's the only family I have left…" Sarutobi placed his hands over hers and smiled.

"You have a strong boy here. He's not someone to give up a fight. He has that determination just like his aunt," Tsunade grasped his hand in silent thanks.

"So…his diagnosis…is it something that could be easily cured?" She asked hopefully. The old man flipped through his clipboard before responding.

"Well, to be straight forward, the boy just had a relapse of his mental state. How long this may continue is unknown due to various psychological factors but I can assume in two weeks there may be some improvement," Tsunade clutched the bed railing.

"Relapse? Like the one after his parents' death? This can't be…I heard it took months for him to recover and this morning, he was just fine," Sarutobi frowned.

"Are you sure? Something had to have happened to trigger this state. Perhaps something of his past was brought up. Did he do or go anywhere today?" he asked. Tsunade nodded.

"Yes, he had a job interview around three. Do you think that had an effect?" the doctor rubbed his chin.

"Interviews do tend to ask and request personal information…and those memories are most likely to resurface especially with the usage of drugs," Tsunade eyes widened.

"Drugs? Naruto has never used drugs in his life! This is ridiculous!" Sarutobi placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Tsunade, from the blood tests, it shows he has mixed chemical elements as well as alcohol in his system."

"Alcohol? You don't think…" she looked up at her friend in hope of reassurance but found none. "I see…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There on the cold tile floor sat the young heir, draped over the toilet. His hair was matted to his head and he looked paler than his usual skin color. It could be assumed that his appearance was due to that strong stench of vomit which fumed the bathroom.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi slowly walked over to the younger man while containing his gag reflex. "Come with me…I need to take you home," Sasuke vacantly gazed at him before returning his stare to the wall. "Sasuke…"

"Go away…" was the hoarse reply. Kakashi shook his head and bent down to help the man up.

"Sorry, I can't do that. I have to get you out of here," Sasuke weakly punched him in the arm to let him go but found it useless. "Are you going to act like a child now?" Sasuke looked at him blankly before pushing him away.

"Go home," he murmured. "I'm fine…" Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I wish I could…but I don't think I can handle finding your dead body the next morning. So tell me, what brought this on?" Sasuke leaned his head against the wall before sneezing.

"Nothing…just something I ate," the grey haired man shrugged while walking over to him and pulled out a piece of paper.

"So it had nothing to do with this?" he held up the article to the young Uchiha. "Nothing at all?" Sasuke snatched the paper out of his grasp and threw it on the floor.

"Get that away from me! I tell you to find me some qualified employees and what do I get? A murderer! A fucking crazy murderer!" Kakashi stood speechless at the man before him. "Well, you know what, he's not going to kill me cause' I'm going to make sure he never steps foot in this building," Sasuke let a small laugh escape his lips. "He lost…Kakashi. The devil lost again."

"Sasuke…" Kakashi reached out to him. "Come on…I have to get you out of here," the dark haired man swatted his hands away.

"You…stay away. You are probably in this little plan too! You, Itachi and everyone else are trying to get rid of me! But I won't let you…I won't let you…" Kakashi stood confused. _What was Sasuke talking about? And how did Itachi get in this? _

"Sasuke…this has nothing to do with Itachi. He hasn't been seen for over five years and you have to believe me when I say I'm only doing what is best for you. Just trust me," Sasuke looked at him before loosing his balance. He was about to hit the floor before he was caught in strong arms. "See…you just have to trust me…"

"Trust you?" Sasuke asked, slumped against his shoulder. "How can I when you basically introduced me to a killer?" Kakashi turned so the man was leaning on his back before hefting him up. His boss was getting a piggy back ride. "Hmm?" The older man turned out the bathroom light.

"You can't believe everything you read."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade sat at her nephew's bedside, brushing back blond strands from his face. She prayed that he would wake up and reassure her that he was okay but perhaps that was too much to ask. He had not moved since she arrived so she could only assume he was unaware of his surroundings. Leaning back in the chair, she thought over the discussion with the doctor. She still couldn't understand how all this happened. Yes, she was a doctor but in a different field. Dermatology, in fact, so this was more difficult to comprehend. Hopefully, her childhood friend Jiraiya could help. After all, he knew more about her brother's family than she did.

"Oh Naruto…I'm supposed to be your aunt and I don't even know the most important thing about you…" the blond made no sign that she was heard. Tsunade gave a sad smile before closing her eyes. It wasn't long before the door to the room opened and a loud noise was heard.

"_Is that really necessary?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With the little energy he had, Kakashi remarkably locked up the building and made it home with his boss in tow. It wasn't easy piggy-backing at sleeping 23 year-old out to the parking lot and then into your house. It was truly an accomplishment.

Placing the sleeping man on the couch, Kakashi made himself a cup tea and slowly walked off towards his room. He was exhausted but he had one more thing he had to do. Picking up his phone, he dialed a good friend.

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey..."_

"_What's up? You know I'm trying to get some shut-eye…"_

"_I know but Obito…I need a favor."_

Five minutes later, the grey haired man closed his phone and laid back on his bed. He could always count on Obito.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Puffs of smoke evaporated around the man. "Of course it is! I like making entrances," Tsunade shook her head and pulled her hair back.

"No, I mean that clown suit. Do you like embarrassing yourself?" a chuckle echoed through the room.

"No, it's just the ladies love this if you know what I mean," Tsunade squinched her nose in disgust. "So pretty woman, you called for this sexy sage?"

"Yes I did. It's about Naruto…" the man frowned before walking over to the bed.

"What happened?"

"I don't know Jiraiya…I don't know. You know about his past…maybe you could tell me?"

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**Reviews are deeply appreciated :-) Next Chapter: The full story on Naruto's past. Oh, sorry for late chapter!**


	6. Tell Me

**A/N: Finally, Naruto's past is here! I probably disappointed you last chapter. I'm sorry :-( I'll make it up to you, I promise.**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Tell Me**

Jiraiya slowly walked around to the side of the bed, plopping down on a brown cushioned chair before letting out a soft sigh. It pained him to reflect on the past especially when it focused on one of his best friends. Looking up at the woman before him, he let a sad smile grace his lips. It seemed just like yesterday; they were twelve year's old, playing tag in the restless summer with a baby boy in tow and now its fifty years later, they are old enough to retire, playing tag was a lost memory, and the baby boy was no longer living.

"Tsunade…" he whispered, reflecting on the past. "Naruto was such an innocent child. I remember when I first held him at the hospital. He was full of joy and so much more. His parents, your brother, were the people happiest alive. I never saw anyone smile so bright. Minato even took tons of pictures to post around the hospital. The nurses, doctors, and everyone just enjoyed this family. They were the '_perfect_' image…a father who was an outstanding circuit court judge, a fierce actuary as a mother, and a son who was a combination of both. The hospital staff and even some of the patients were sad when they took Naruto home. The boy just had this light about him." Jiraiya remained quiet for a moment as he glanced at the boy and shifted in his seat. "When they brought him home, we gave Naruto and Kushina a welcome home party. Everybody from both their jobs came including myself. That was the day I gave Blondie here my first novel, you know for once he hits puberty. Minato approved but Kushina not so much…she took it away and stashed it in the closet. It makes me wonder where it could be right now…" Tsunade let out a dry laugh.

"Only you would give a newborn a graphic porn novel," Jiraiya rubbed his head sheepishly.

"It was out of best interest and plus, I knew Minato wanted a copy. It was like killing two birds with one stone," the blond woman shook her head at her friend's stupidity. He never grew out of it and she cherished that.

"Well…" the white haired man continued. "The party continued. We had a few drinks here and there. Well, I had more than a few but I can honestly say I can hold alcohol pretty well. Yep, I remember everything clearly. We watched a few action movies, gored down some cake, it was chocolate cake too. So rich and moist that I got myself three slices. Those ladies loved the extra _meat _I packed on that night, if you know what I mean. I think you complimented me on it too." Tsunade folded her arms and raised an eyebrow; this old kook had better been kidding.

"If I recall correctly, I said your extra _meat_ was suffocating me in the movie theater and that if you ever wanted to hang out again, it better be packed and shipped away," her friend laughed at this. It was true; to be seen with her, he would have to lose the extra weight.

"I think it's coming back to me now…" he said, laughter dying down. "But yea, I had some cake, played a little poker with the guys, and had us a good man talk. Minato was a father and who knew if we would ever have the chance again. Oh yes, our conversations were lively that night. Kushina even kicked us out the house so we wouldn't wake up the little one. I can say we spent about five hours out there and we were about to roll to six 'till his wife ran out the house, fear-stricken and pale white. Minato got up and rushed to her calming her down. A strange feeling came over me that morning…in the pit of my stomach. Something was approaching and they were no longer going to be the '_perfect_' family."

Tsunade sat up in her chair, "What happened? I mean Kushina…did somebody do something to her or the baby?" Jiraiya looked in his hands for a minute before looking up, a swarm of emotion passing through his eyes.

"I don't know…he wouldn't tell me. Stubborn fool," the man clenched his fist, nails digging into the skin. "But I do know for sure, being a circuit court judge is a dangerous job," his eyes narrowed at the woman before him. "You make enemies quick. Lots of them."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The dark haired man stirred slightly on the couch before blinking blurrily at the ceiling. His head was pounding at a non-stop pace and he didn't smell so fresh either. Sitting up, he slowly looked around, intaking his surroundings. He wasn't at his house, so he could only assume this was Kakashi's house. That led to question on how he arrived at his house. He tried to replay the events in head…Office…fax…bathroom…sink…floor…toilet…Kakashi...arguing…passing out… Yep, he pretty much made a fool out of himself and to top it off, he thought of his brother. That was the last person he ever wanted to think about.

Standing up, he murmured a weak "Kakashi" and dragged himself to the man's room. He needed to apologize to the man and go home. There he could sulk in his self-pity and have his blank walls look at him. Not here, so openly and well decorated.

"Kakashi…" it came out as more of a whine, though he would never admit it though. "Kakashi…are you up here?" he stopped at the cracked door, noticing the light peaking through. Not being one to knock, he pushed the door open to find the older man sleep. His legs splayed across the bed, face smothered in his pillow.

Sasuke slowly walked over to the man, nudging him the shoulder. Nothing happened. He hated to disturb the man but right now, he could care less so he nudged him the man 'till one eye opened. "Kakashi…" one eye analyzed him closely before the man sat up on the bed, letting a yawn escape his lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked tiredly. Sasuke shrugged and stared at nothing particular before answering.

"I want to go home. I smell like vomit if you haven't noticed," Kakashi stared at his boss. Yes, his boss and his boss had a small pout on his lips. Kakashi could have chuckled if he wasn't so tired; Sasuke was still just a young boy, trying to conquer the big world. In a way, Kakashi considered the man to be like a son. You would too by their relationship.

"Sasuke…you seriously don't expect me to drive at 3:23 a.m. to the other part of town. I just dragged your heavy load here," Sasuke mumbled something of the childish nature and resumed staring at nothing particular.

"How about you take a shower here? I can lend you some clothes. Is that alright with you?" Sasuke growled out a "fine" as the older man retrieved clean garments from his drawer. "Here take these clothes and the bathroom is down the hall on the right," Sasuke looked at the clothes in a daze. His headache was coming back at a full force and he was losing his train of thought.

"Are you okay? You need me to help?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke didn't respond or even appear to be listening. His eyes were stuck on the garments in his hands. The older man placed a hand softly on his shoulder and guided Sasuke to the bathroom. "Sasuke, I'm only going to turn the shower on if you are aware of what you are doing. Can you hear me?" Suddenly, dark eyes locked with his and nodded as if he was very aware of everything, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm not crazy Kakashi; I know what I am doing," he responded monotonously. At least, his personality was still intact. The grey haired let out a sigh and turned on the water for the shower to run.

"If you need anything, let me know," with that said, the man gave him one last glance and exited the bathroom, shutting the door. Sasuke watched the door close before stripping from his black suit and stepping into the shower. The water felt good once it hit his hot body and helped him relax a little as the water sprouted over his head. Grabbing some soap, he lathered himself from head to toe then stepped under the showerhead to rinse and repeat the same procedure. Next he moved his hair, squirting enough shampoo to keep his hair clean for weeks. Once he was done, he gave himself one last rinse and stepped out the shower. He felt way better than before and was relived to have rid that vomit odor from his body.

He dressed into the clothes Kakashi gave him and walked out the bathroom, towel drying his hair. He guessed he should thank the man for everything he had done and apologize for what he said earlier. He didn't mean it, it's just everything he's been trying to avoid was coming back.

"Kakashi…" the young Uchiha slowly walked into the man's room to see him taking some pills. "What are you doing?" the man looked up and put the pills back into his drawer.

"Taking some sleeping pills, I'm unable to fall back asleep once I've woken up," he pulled off some fuzz on his shirt. "Is everything okay?" Sasuke pulled the towel off his head and fiddled with the rims before responding.

"Yea, I just want to say…" it was hard for him to apologize or to say his feelings. He never did this kind of thing before so he didn't know how to go about it. "To say…I'm…" Kakashi suppressed a smile as the man in front of him tried to apologize. Sasuke was an interesting one.

"Its fine, I understand. Let me show you to the guest room," Kakashi walked past him and lead him down the hall to a small guest room. "Here you go. It's nothing fancy though…I don't have time to shop for extra plush pillows," he said trying to lighten the mood. Sasuke grunted and took a seat on the bed. "I see someone is cheerful; Get some rest," the older man switched out the light and started to close the door before a soft voice stopped him.

"I'm sorry," A second went pass and the door went 'click' after that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade folded her hands under her chin, "Enemies? You are saying my brother had enemies?" The man responded by continuing the story.

"You know, circuit court judges…they decide your future for a crime and they take on so many cases, they start not to care what happens to the defendant. You start to loose track on who you threw in jail or gave the death sentence to, so the list piles up," Jiraiya bit his lower lip. "Minato…had a large list. It was large before he had Naruto but it got worse after the kid was born. That's why I think Kushina was so fear stricken…someone on that list decided to give her a call. But what can you do…when you never kept track of the list to begin with? You can only wait…"

Tsunade let out a breath, "But why didn't they get revenge before? They had to have a lot of time." Her friend tilted his head to the bed.

"What's revenge…without the most precious piece? Naruto was Minato's world, so why not take it away? You could take away his world just like he did theirs. To them that was payback and the opportunity was not going to slip."

"Did Minato know any of this?"

"Oh yes, he knew. I even told him some of my thoughts as well. He shut me out though, never wanting to discuss anything, wanting to take matters in his own hands. So I let him have his space and waited as a couple of years passed. Everything seemed fine, no new threats or disturbances. That was until Naruto's fifth birthday; Kushina took him out to the new teddy bear factory by their house. The boy made an orange bear to match his outfit and he named it Rasengan. I think…because it had a black swirl in its center. He showed it to me once he arrived home and bragged to me about its cool name. I told the little twerp to play outside because he was bothering me, not once did a thought occur to me about his safety. He lived in safe neighborhood, so what was there to worry about? It wasn't until dinner came around did Kushina ask for him. I waved my hand at her in a dismissal manner telling her the brat was out front. She whacked me with the spatula for calling Naruto that too and went outside to retrieve him. I heard a loud scream and ran out the front door to see her on her knees, cradling the orange bear. That's when I knew Naruto was gone and someone took him. I never forgave myself for that day…"

"Why? What happened? Did someone get hurt?" the blond woman asked frantically. Jiraiya shook his head sadly.

"No…no one got hurt. We retrieved Naruto…but he was different. It was like he was a completely different person."

"What do you mean?"

"He was quiet and almost never smiled and when he did, it looked completely wrong. I don't know what those people did to him but they changed him. When we found him, he was in this old warehouse several miles up north. The people who took him were no longer around…I guess they did what they wanted. I mean…they called Minato three days later about the boy's whereabouts as if goal accomplished. I say they did accomplish something; they took away the boy's mental innocence. After that incident, I talked to Minato about all the possible solutions we could do to solve this. Get an investigation team, make public announcements, gather possible names…he refused by saying it was his job to protect his family, no one else. I called him a fool that night and left town. I couldn't stand looking at him…he was making all the wrong decisions. I traveled for about a year, I left to go the states…and umm…one night, I got an e-mail for Kushina. She was telling me about another incident that occurred. Naruto was taken from school during recess and was missing for two weeks. She found the boy on the doorstep, unconscious and branded on his stomach. I flew back to Japan the next day to check it out and he was indeed branded, a black swirl on the middle of his stomach, just like his bear Rasengan. I never saw that bear again after the incident…" Tsunade covered her mouth in shock. Her poor baby was branded and mentally destroyed. How could Minato keep letting this happen?

"Was this when he lost his voice?" she asked quietly. Jiraiya shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face.

"No, he didn't loose his voice. He talked but rarely…he only responded when he felt like it. I asked him about the people who took him. He said only one word, "RED", and then I asked him what that meant and he said, "Everything". I only got two words out of him and I would say that was an accomplishment because he wouldn't even tell his parents. So time passed, Naruto remained in his solitude and everything seemed to go back to normal. No threats, his parents were active in work again…everything seemed alright. Then around Naruto's eleventh birthday, things started to shift. He started to draw these freaky and unusual drawings about the things he sees. They were all painted in red and had long bodies. He never drew the faces though, just the same image over and over. He even drew it on the walls and told his parents they were coming for them. He would say the same thing over and over, so his parents sought out professional help. A nearby psychiatrist. He advised them to take away the paint seeing that as a trigger for his thoughts. Kushina took his paints and other colored utensils, thinking it could be remedy. The boy closed up again, shunning his parents for not believing him about the future."

Tsunade placed her hand over Naruto's, "So you are saying Naruto knew what was going to happen?"

"I think he did…because as fate would have it, it did happen. After they took away his drawing materials, Naruto started to search for another way to portray his drawings, pencils and pens wouldn't do. It had to be red…everything had to be red to get the point across. So the boy took interest into a red substance he could get his hands onto, that substance being blood. He would cut himself to produce just enough to create a drawing. I saw him do it once, he would grab a knife from the kitchen as if cutting a piece of fruit and then zigzag it down his forefinger. I punished him after that and told his parents. They gave him a long talk, not knowing really what to do and prayed for the best. Naruto stopped cutting after their discussion, it wasn't till three months later that he started again. But this…was much worse. He painted one side of his room in red, blood seething through the paint. He cut himself…oh Tsunade…he looked like a helpless child. His face lost all the color and I thought he was about to die, right there on the floor. We rushed him to the hospital where he was placed in intensive care till he improved. It was about three weeks…uhh…when he started to improve health wise.

"He talked a bit more and it was kind of like he was returning to his normal self; the one before the incidents. The brat even told me that he wasn't crazy and that he didn't regret anything that had happen. I believed him and tried to forget of the past. It seemed like we all were making a new start…too bad not many saw it that way. The psychiatrist…Ebisu something concluded that Naruto was suffering from schizophrenia and talked Minato into admitting Naruto into Suna Mental Hospital. Minato contacted the hospital immediately drowning out the boy's pleas and my arguments. Naruto was not crazy…he just needed to talk about everything that happened to him, not be locked away and taking fifty pills a day. The boy cried on his way to the institution and begged his parents to let him stay, I never seen this boy at his weakest point. He cried till he was hyperventilating and apologizing for everything he had done. Not once did Minato reconsider his decision. I watched from the side as men in white dragged him from the car and that's when I saw it; His eyes were darker than the duskiest of nights and held an overwhelming load of pain. I couldn't look at him…so I turned away. I was ashamed that I couldn't help him. His pleas and sobs still ring in my head today…I was the only one who understood him, yet I didn't help him.

"I left Minato and Kushina after that…I couldn't stand to be around them. How can you put your own child in mental hospital? I say, you make them crazier that way…mixing them in with the nutcases…it rubs off on you."

"Did something happen to Naruto while he was there?" Tsunade asked solemnly. Her friend closed his eyes, resting back in his seat.

"I don't know…I was off traveling on and off for about three years before returning back to Japan. It was a year after when I heard Naruto was being finally released. It didn't surprise me though; the boy was never crazy to begin with and it took doctors three years to figure it out. From rumors, I heard everything was doing well in their household now that Naruto was back. I never knew for sure though because I couldn't bring myself to visit them and see those same blue eyes. Three weeks after his release, the Namikaze household came to an uprising again now with their deaths. Newscasters portrayed Naruto as the murderer other than the victim and when I arrived on the scene, they treated him like one too. I was able to get them to back off so I could talk to the boy. What I wasn't prepared for was for his state of mind, he wasn't there… just his shell of a body which was heavily soaked with blood. His face even dripped off blood as he sat off in the corner. I didn't know what to do…I needed him to show some awareness, a sign at least so I shook him hard till his eyes came to focus and asked him what happened. His eyes drifted to his parents' lifeless bodies on the floor before murmuring one word, "RED". I still didn't understand till he drew a form with his bloody hands and that's when it hit me, all this time red wasn't just a color or sign of blood but the person who did this. I questioned him again hoping to get more answers but he seemed to shut down and place himself in the back of his mind. That was the last time I ever heard his voice. He didn't say anything as the police questioned him, handcuffed him, and informed him about his possible re-admittance at Suna Mental Institution. Neither when they dragged him past his parents…the boy for once wasn't there. I watched from the window as they took him away before exiting myself. The house…was a massacre…I mean the strong stench of blood infiltrated every corner, all these disturbing images were drawn on the wall…I couldn't take it." Jiraiya remained silent for a moment, collecting himself.

"Then Minato and Kushina…damn…they didn't even seem to have faces. There were gashes everywhere and their clothes were ripped in various parts…the person who did that to them was sick. They even went the extra lengths to break their lower limbs…and…and…" the older man tried to hold in the tears. "They even cut off his fucking wedding finger…his damn finger…who would do that Tsunade…who?" he murmured weakly as the tears started to flow freely down his face. "Naruto could have never done something like that…even if he wanted to." Tsunade walked over to comfort him by rubbing circles on his back. She too was having a hard time containing the information…this was more than she bargained for.

"I'm sorry you had to see that …"she said soothingly. The older man sat in silence, listening to the monitors before continuing.

"Well…after that…I went home, avoiding the persistent investigators. I just needed to think and clear my mind. Naruto was right about his predictions and that made me angry somehow…we had enough time to prevent the murders yet we didn't listen to one who tried to help. The next day, I visited him at the Juvenile center to see how he was holding up. He was still lacking his mental state and that's when I learned they were placing him back at Suna 'till trial. He was going back to the mental house where he fought so hard to get out off. I seriously thought the boy had given up on life…but Naruto was never one to give up. He knew who he was and was every bit sane too so I waited for him to prove me otherwise. I visited him at Suna every Thursday…as a way of strength I suppose…he didn't speak to me though but I saw it in his eyes; he wasn't giving up. I got him the best lawyer I could find after that…one who knew the system perfectly…he was able to use Naruto's past to grab the boy a lesser sentence. All Naruto had to do was resume residency at the mental hospital 'till he was deemed fit for society while going through daily counseling. He took the sentence through plea bargaining and was sent to the institution the following day.

"I continued to visit him for about two years…he still never spoke though. I guess it was his way of dealing with his past and not once did he look like those loonies in that hospital. I left a year after that because my book sales were starting to pick up in other countries…umm…when I returned; I heard he was released on his nineteenth birthday and moved to the western part of Japan. I couldn't find him after that…he cleaned his tracks so no one could trace him. This is my first time seeing him in six years…he's grown big."

Tsunade straightened Naruto's blankets, "Did they ever find out who really murdered Kushina and Minato?" Jiraiya shook his head.

"The investigators never had any leads and the knife found at the crime scene had Naruto's prints on it, so everything pointed to him but I know that person who Killed Minato and Kushina is still out there. That's why I have some people working on Minato's list…maybe it could be offer a lead of some sort before it's too late."

"Too late?"

"Tsunade…I fear for the boy's safety, if something else happens we might lose him for good."

"Are you saying they are still after Naruto?"

"I'm saying…revenge is never complete," Tsunade stood motionless by the bed. Someone was after her poor Naruto and she didn't know how to protect him. She never felt so helpless in her life.

"What should we do?" she questioned.

"There's nothing we can do except wait…unless you get Blondie here to say something. Heh, that's never going to happen, I tried for years." The blond woman sighed and sat down in her chair. Did this have anything to do with his condition now?

"Jiraiya…the doctor said Naruto just had a relapse of his mental state…how do you think this happened? I mean... this only occurred once before when he was at Suna."

"Suna?" he never heard of the boy having a relapse there. He was perfectly fine. "I don't recall Naruto having a relapse…I visited him all the time." Tsunade shook her head.

"No…I think this was during the time of your absence. He had multiple panic attacks…and then he went into a self-induced coma the next day. When he woke up, it was like he wasn't there. Today's incident is similar too…something had to have triggered his memories."

Jiraiya frowned, "Tsunade…you can only keep things locked up for a certain amount of time before it begs to be out let. Naruto's memories are begging to be let out. He has to learn to deal with them before he can fully heal. But I wouldn't worry…the boy is strong kid." Tsunade gave a slight nod.

"The doctor even said he had alcohol in his system. I think someone drugged him." The white-haired man let out a soft chuckle.

"Or maybe just got himself a good drink," Tsunade said nothing after that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Black spikes stuck out from under cream sheets as the morning sun filled the window. It was only a matter of time before his phone rang that annoying tune as his wake up call. Pushing back the sheets, he hobbled off to the bathroom to relieve himself and wash his face. For some reason, he was burning up and he needed to cool off. Where was the air conditioning?

'How can Kakashi sleep in this heat?'

Pulling his shirt off, he walked downstairs to get a cold glass of water and fix a cup of coffee. He needed his coffee, he couldn't survive without it. As the machine started to brew, Sasuke decided to take a look around. The living room was decorated nicely as if it was a family home. There were pictures of Kakashi as a young boy and of his college years along the walls. Also, there was one of man who looked exactly like him. Sasuke didn't know much about the man's personal life, so curiosity took over and he looked in nearby photo albums; He was halfway through 'till the doorbell rang. Hoping they would go away, the young man continued to look over the pictures 'till frantic knocking occurred. He still didn't know why people didn't take the hint at not being wanted.

The dark haired man growled before standing up and opening the door, not even considering his appearance; Low riding pajama pants, morning hair, flushed face, and a shirtless upper half. The man in front of him stood gaping like a fish; Sasuke looked like after-sex.

"What do you want?" Sasuke said tersely. A pink tint crossed the man's face before looking away. This was pretty uncomfortable.

"N-Nothing…could you give this to Kakashi?" the man thrust the package in his hands and walked away. The package was filled with hot cinnamon rolls that tweaked Sasuke's taste buds.

"Kakashi has breakfast delivery…nice," he said to himself quietly and closed the door. Once he was in the kitchen, he helped himself to one and a fresh cup of black coffee. It wasn't till he closed the box that he saw the note attached.

**Kakashi, **

**I hope you like these…  
****I made them from scratch.**

**Iruka**

Sasuke took another bite of his cinnamon roll. 'Iruka?'

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**Sorry for my late update again. Anyways, let me here your thoughts. Review :-)  
****You know you want to.**


	7. Check Me

**A/N: Thanks for the Reviews :-) Also, Tsunade's last name is Namikaze because Minato was her brother and she was never married.**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Check Me **

Tousled hair splayed over a white pillow as an alarm clock rose in volume. The man currently trying to remain in deep slumber was finally awoken to a white ceiling. He couldn't believe it was morning already, it felt like he just went to bed. Reaching out a pale arm, the man turned the alarm clock off and sat up to get his thoughts in order. Let's see…he had to check his boss, he had to get to work, he had to host the New Worker Orientation, and he had to call that little dolphin he met. He had wanted to call the young man yesterday but his little incident with Sasuke had messed up his schedule. _The things I do for this boy_. Stretching his back muscles, Kakashi trudged down the hall to the guest room to see if his guest was awake. The door was wide open and sheets hung low over the bed as if one fell out of bed. The grey haired man couldn't stop the panic that started to rise through his body. _Where is he? Did he leave? _

"Maybe…I'm just over-analyzing things," he murmured to himself and took a deep breath. At that moment, a strong smell infiltrated his nose. It was the most heavenly smell…_coffee._"Mmm…coffee…" the older man seemed to mindlessly walk down the steps towards the kitchen, the smell as his guide. Indeed, there was a fresh pot of coffee as well as his young boss at the kitchen table. Kakashi felt like wiping off his imaginary sweat…this missing boy was about to give him a panic attack.

"Oh…there you are…" Sasuke ignored his presence and continued looking through the photo albums. "I see you made coffee…and cinnamon rolls?" _Sasuke went out to buy pastries…that's new. _

Sasuke took a sip of his coffee, "Your breakfast delivery guy dropped them off. I never knew you were into fancy things like that," Kakashi looked at him in confusion. He didn't even have breakfast delivery..._who would waste money on that?_

"I don't have breakfast delivery…the guy must have had the wrong house," Kakashi grabbed a roll from the box and poured himself a cup of coffee. _Was this his lucky day or what?_

Sasuke shook his head, "He had the right house…he knew your name, so he must know you. His name was I-Iru…or something. It's on the top of the box," Kakashi's mind went on full alert. _'Iruka? Iruka was at my house…?' t_he older man quickly flipped over the top and saw the little note attached. It was indeed his little dolphin who stopped by this morning. Oh how cute the man really was.

"Did he say anything?" Sasuke grunted.

"No…he ran off in a hurry," the grey haired man frowned at that. Sasuke probably scared him away considering he isn't the nicest person.

"You weren't rude were you?" Sasuke let out a sigh.

"I was not rude Kakashi. I just opened the door and he shoved the box in my hands. What's the big deal anyways?" Kakashi shrugged.

"Nothing," he said nonchalantly and gave the young man a long look as he thought of why Iruka would be in a hurry. Then it hit him like a ton of super-sized rocks. "Please Sasuke…Please tell me you did not open the door…" Kakashi pointed to his body. "...looking like that," Sasuke glared.

"Yea…so what? It's his fault for coming so early and besides, I think he enjoyed the view. He turned pink before running away," the older man was close to having his mug slip from his hands.

"Oh my…my poor innocent dolphin is corrupted," Sasuke gave him a confused look.

"Dolphin?"

"Can't talk now young one…I have to make a phone call," Sasuke grunted as the grey haired man rushed out of the kitchen. _'Now he picks up the pace.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade threw her keys on the kitchen table and fixed herself a cup of coffee before heading to the bathroom. She was exhausted but she couldn't go to sleep just yet. She had to make a phone call and pay someone a little visit later. Running water into the tub, the blond woman poured bubble bath under the faucet as the water began to rise. Once it reached the desired amount, she stripped from her clothes and eased into the tub, 'till she was leaning back. The water felt relaxing and eased her pounding headache. Oh how it beat the regular aspirin. She needed this, something that could help her think and awake her senses. To handle business, you have to be sharp and fast, if you're too slow you're out; and she for one couldn't be out.

Soaking for about a good hour, Tsunade finished her wash and drained the water before grabbing a towel. Next, she was brushed her teeth and applied a cucumber melon mask to soft her wrinkles. Before they were hard to see but now they seemed to be getting deeper by the second. The facial mask needed to stay on for ten minutes so this was a good time to make a certain phone call. Picking up the black cordless from the hallway, the blond woman rummaged through the yellow phone book, scanning all businesses with the letter 'U'. Now the problem was which location Naruto went to. You see, Tsunade was planning on calling Uchiha Transportation Services to talk to the corporate owner, Uchiha Sasuke. It was a high possible chance he met with her Naruto yesterday but the large business has multiple small branches throughout Japan. It would take forever to find the main branch since they are listed in numbered branches. This would be so much easier if she had a business card…wait…a business card? Naruto had a business card! Tsunade ran into the kitchen with her towel wrapped tightly around her and grabbed the man's wallet from which she brought home from the hospital. She hated to invade her nephew's privacy but this was important and as she thought, the card was visible in the first flap. It was a small beige colored card with the Uchiha fan emblem in the right-hand corner.

"Hatake Kakashi?" she mumbled to herself. "Maybe I should give him a call," the woman picked up the phone and dialed the number. It wasn't 'till a few rings later did someone answer the phone.

_"Hello?" _the answer was more in a dazed response.

"_Hello, Hatake-san?" _

_"Yes."_

"_My name is Namikaze Tsunade and I assume you introduced my nephew, Uzumaki Naruto to a job position a few days ago. Is that correct?"_

"_Yes, that's right. The young man had his interview yesterday."_

"_Who interviewed him?" _she asked immediately.

"_The corporate CEO, Uchiha Sasuke."_

"_I see…did anything…different…happen during that time?"_

_"I'm sorry Tsunade-san, but I cannot disclose that information out to you. We are very strict on our confidentiality policy."_

"_What if it focused on someone's well being of health? My nephew was admitted to the hospital last night. He was fine before he left for that interview."_

"_I assure you his physical condition was fine when he left our building yesterday."_

"_Physical condition? I mean his mental condition…you don't honestly believe I'm clueless about what you people do. I know for a fact you know something about my boy's background…or else you wouldn't be so persistent to hire him. Jobs don't come fast for those are mute…right Hatake-san?" _Kakashi remained quiet on the line; this woman was correct.

"_So…I suggest you arrange me a meeting with Uchiha-san…today."_

"_Please wait a minute," _Kakashi deflated out. This woman was on target about his tactics but arranging a meeting with Sasuke would be most likely impossible. His young boss was in no way ready to discuss Naruto. The man basically lost it once he read the paper even though it wasn't even remotely true. It would be so much easier if Sasuke had some other insight from a different source…one other than himself…someone who personally knew the blond. Hmm…that's it! Kakashi picked up the phone.

"_Yes, you can meet with him today during our New Worker Orientation. Is two o' clock okay?"_

"_Yes, that's fine. What's the address? Seeing you have many branches…"_

"_103N Umpan Drive. It's a big business district, hard to miss."_

"_Thank you_ _Hatake-san. It was a pleasure talking to you."_

"_With you as well. Take care."_

"_Take care." _

Tsunade hung up the phone and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. It would have been wider if the facial mask wasn't so tight. She couldn't believe she managed that so easily…her wits must still be intact. Just the thought gave her a little hop (not really) back to the bathroom and all the more energy to get ready.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi tightened his tie and grabbed his coat before heading downstairs. The young Uchiha was waiting for him by the door with a plastic bag in his hands. The bag was holding his soiled clothes from the day before therefore the dark haired man wanted to return home to get them cleaned and retrieve another suit.

"Kakashi…I don't have all day."

"Maa I know, I know. I'm ready now," Kakashi grabbed his keys from the countertop and they left for his car. The car ride was quiet considering the young heir didn't talk much anyway so the older man decided to strike up a conversation.

"Today is the New Worker Orientation. Did you contact all the new employees?" Sasuke mumbled something before glaring at the dashboard.

"Hmm?"

"No. I haven't had time to call them. I figured you would do it," Kakashi sighed and turned a corner.

"Sasuke…I'm not a mind reader. You have to tell me these things. You want me to call Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba?"

"Yes," he said absentmindedly.

"So are you going to dismiss Naruto based on your findings?" Sasuke gave the man a cold stare.

"There is a reason one does background checks…"

"The real source is more accurate actually," Sasuke shifted in his seat.

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Everything you read is not true…sometimes you have to interact with someone to understand."

"You know something. Tell me," Sasuke demanded. Kakashi remained quiet as the pulled up to the Uchiha estate, "Tell me."

"It's not my right to do so Sasuke. How would you feel if I spread your business around?" Sasuke remained silent. "Exactly. That's why it's wrong and disrespectful."

"Hn," Sasuke opened the car door and retrieved his items from the trunk. Kakashi was being difficult; he hated people who were difficult.

"Sasuke…are you going to be angry with me all day?" the older man called from the car. Sasuke didn't respond just started to walk to his front door. "I suspected so but listen to me for a second. I'm heading to the branch to set up for the orientation and to make a couple of phone calls. It starts at two and I'm going to handle all the basics, please be there exactly at two…meaning I need your schedule to be clear," Sasuke didn't turn around. He knew he had to be there, hello it's his company but why was it so important to be there at that time.

"Why?"

"Let's just say…I found you a real source," before Sasuke could respond, the black Mercedes pulled out of the driveway. He watched the car leave from sight and looked up at the sky. '_A real source eh?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade searched in her closet for a decent outfit. She wanted to wear something that made an impression, something that said, '_Don't you dare mess with me_.' In her closet, she had a very large number of blouses, some a bit revealing and some older than her nephew. Let's just say those were out of the question so she settled for her solid white buttoned up blouse which was in the back. Next, deciding to go for the '_all business look'_, she pulled out a pair of black dress pants which came with a matching dress coat. This was her favorite suit because it had cascading grey lines as its design. Now all she had to do was find a sexy heel to pull it all off. Yes, a sexy heel meaning the overall structure had to be 2 to 3 inches high with an ankle length strap and have slight coverage of the toes, just so you could see the very first three.

The blond woman got down on her knees and went through her shoe rack. She still had her shoes from her high school prom, wow she really needed to clean her closet. After about ten minutes of searching, she found a decent pair of shoes, the black straps crisscrossed along the toes and a thin strap was buckled at the ankle.

"Let's hope I can still wear these…" she murmured to herself and began to get dress. Once she was finished, she glanced in the mirror, inspecting all side views. Tsunade was impressed, she was in her fifties and still pulled of the '_young look_.' "I look…good. Those facial masks must be paying off. Now what to do with my hair?" The blond woman wasn't into curls or wearing her hair out so she ended up placing it into a neat bun, a silver hair piece snapping it in place. "Perfect," she was snapped out of her thoughts as her cell rang loudly from the bedroom. Rushing into the room, she was able to pick it up at the last ring.

_"Hello?"_

"_Tsunade, this is Sarutobi. I wanted to update you on Naruto's condition…"_

"_Is he alright?"_

"_Yes, his condition has improved…meaning his health statistics and breathing rate. He is still in an unconscious state but by the rate he is progressing right now, his self-induced coma shouldn't last long," _Tsunade let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

_"Thank you. This really made my day," _Sarutobi let out a low chuckle.

_"__Mine as well_. _Take care."_

_"Take care."_

Tsunade ended the call and plopped down on her bed. Naruto was getting better and she had a meeting with the busiest person in Tokyo. _Is this a sign or what? _She didn't know but she wasn't going to waste her time daydreaming, she still had much to do before her meeting. _'Now where's my makeup bag?'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi parked his car in the private parking perimeter and entered the large ten story building. Security had already opened the building for the other employees so he was not surprised to see lazy Shikamaru, delivering his work folder. Every employee had to turn in their work and certain findings at the end of week, of course it was based on each department they were assigned in. Shikamaru was part of the financial department along with Aburame Shino and Yoshida Tenten.

"Good morning," Shikamaru looked up.

"Good morning…this paperwork is so troublesome," Kakashi chuckled.

"But you love it…hey, you know the New Employee Orientation is today. I have a lot of stuff to do so could you please let me know when one arrives."

"Sure. Where's the boss?" Shikamaru asked, looking around.

"Not here…he'll be in later so direct any issues to me," Shikamaru nodded in agreement as the grey haired man walked away to the elevator.

Dropping his briefcase on the floor of his office, Kakashi got immediately to work by calling the new employees. Sasuke most likely didn't tell them anything about their status and that would mess up today's events. The call for Kiba lasted five minutes considering a dog kept barking in the background and Sakura…well almost burst his eardrums from squealing so loud. Seriously, she was so happy, he heard her lamp fall to floor. I guess you can consider this was step closer to her dream; marrying Uchiha Sasuke. And Hinata, stuttered the whole conversation. It's amazing how these people were considered _qualified _employees.

Once he was finished, he gathered the appropriate number of Employee handbooks and set out to the financial department on the eighth floor. Each employee had a cubicle for his or her work station and in the center of the room was large oak table. It was a comfortable environment in his opinion.

"Shino…where are the plastic cups and board markers up here?" Kakashi asked. "I thought you all knew of the New Employee Orientation today?"

"We do…we've been pretty busy this morning. Our work has basically tripled since we lost three of our staff. But yea…the cups are on the shelf over there and the board markers are in the cabinet," Kakashi sighed.

"Alright, thanks," the grey haired man got to work by placing the Employee Handbooks around the table and setting up the water fountain. Next, he cleaned the boards and wrote out the day's plan before setting up the PowerPoint.

"Now where are those index cards?" he murmured to himself. He couldn't find anything in this room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke straightened his tie before slipping on his black slacks and heading to his study. He had to organize his employees pay and check his e-mail so he might as well take advantage of the time. He wasn't surprised to see random emails from women…they found ways to grab his e-mail if not his phone number.

"Spam…spam…" Sasuke said as he clicked the e-mails. He always sent these women to the spam folders. "Hmm…what's this?" It was an e-mail from Kabuto and it was titled 'Uzumaki'. The Uchiha was unsure about opening the e-mail…what if it was another surprise or something?

Letting out a breath, he clicked the link and it opened to reveal a picture of Naruto as a young boy and his family. The blond chibi had a true smile plastered on his face with a little orange bear in his hands. Next to the boy was a man who looked more like an older version of the boy and on the other side was a beautiful woman with long red hair. They looked like a perfect innocent family, totally contradicting his views from last night. He couldn't stop the small smile spreading across his lips as he looked at the boy. Those eyes were like a window to his soul.

Closing the e-mail, Sasuke leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, "Maybe…Kakashi is right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The intercom came alive as a bored voice made an announcement. Could Shikamaru at least show some enthusiasm?

"Kakashi, someone is here to see you in the lobby. He won't tell me his name but he said it was important."

"Alright, thanks. I'll be down in a minute," Kakashi called. The grey haired man quickly caught the elevator which led to the lobby. He didn't have time to waste…the orientation was starting soon and he still had to make changes to the PowerPoint. This person better make it quick. Once he reached the floor, he saw Shikamaru in the copier room but no one else was around. _Did the person leave_?

"Shik-" His response was cut short as someone ruffled his hair.

"Looking for me," Kakashi turned around to see no other than his dark haired friend, Obito. "Don't look so surprised buddy…" Kakashi was confused as to why the man was here.

"Obito…what are you doing here?" he asked. Obito smirked that 'oh so familiar' smirk.

"Come on, White-fang, don't you remember the favor you asked me?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**I think it's funny how they are located on Transportation Drive and are a transportation service. Don't you think?****Anyways…Sorry no Naruto in this chap…probably the next one?  
****Reviews are appreciated :-) It helps me know how I'm doing…**


	8. Inform Me

**A/N: Aww…thanks for the reviews, hits, and all of you who added me to their alerts and favs. It makes me feel warm inside. Also, for the sake of this story Obito is not an Uchiha.**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

* * *

**Chapter 8: Inform Me**

A buzzing sound echoed through the room as the young heir took a moment of rest. He knew he had to be to work in less than an hour but was it really necessary for someone to bother him beforehand. He allowed the buzzing to continue as his phone vibrated on the side table. It wasn't till after five minutes of continuous buzzing that he decided to answer that wretched phone.

"_What?"_ He snapped.

"_Uchiha-san, nice to talk to you too." _The man chuckled on the phone.

"_What is it Kabuto?"_

"_I take it you received my e-mail?" _Sasuke sat up in his chair.

"_Yes, I did. How did you get that picture?"_

There was a moment of silence_. "I have my ways. I tend to do what is necessary," _the Uchiha didn't know how to respond to that. Was Kabuto using violence? "_I'm calling about the background checks. You have received all that was needed, correct?"_

"_Yes…" _Now that Sasuke thought about it, he didn't read Sakura's or Kiba's background. He was a bit tied up with emptying his stomach. "_I have everything."_

"_Good. I was a bit worried when you didn't answer me last night. Uzumaki was an interesting case, ne?" _There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"_Hn."_ Indeed, the blond was interesting and that was saying a lot on his part.

"_Well, I wish not to hold you up any longer Uchiha-san. Contact me if you require more information."_

"_I shall." _The phone went dead after that and he closed his phone. He would call Kabuto if he needed more information but for now, he wanted to find things out on his own. After all, it's better to learn from the real source. Glancing down at his watch, it reminded him of the approaching time and he quickly gathered his papers to be placed in his briefcase. Orientation was something he rather not do; it required patience and a lot of talking. He hated talking but it was needed to get the job done. Hopefully, Kakashi could do everything while he secluded himself up in his office.

A knock was heard from outside the door a moment later. It was most likely Chouji alerting him of his ride so he let the man in.

"Uchiha-san, the limo has arrived."

"Thank you. I will be out in a moment," the chubby man bowed and exited from the room while Sasuke grabbed his things. He would have driven to work but today was one of those days where you're like '_why waste the energy_?' So he made sure he grabbed everything and walked out to the long stretch limo. It wasn't even five minutes before the black vehicle pulled out of the estate towards the biggest building in Tokyo.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Realization finally struck in as the grey haired man remembered their phone conversation. He thought for sure it would have taken more time than that to complete the task and here was his friend, already finished.

"Obito, you got the information?" Kakashi asked. Obito nodded and placed his hands behind his head.

"I even got you pictures," Kakashi began walking down the hall.

"Hn." Did he just 'Hn'? The little Uchiha was rubbing off on him. What was the world coming to? The dark haired man grinned and followed his friend.

"Is that all you have to say? Not a '_Well done?_' or a "_Thank you, Obito. You truly are amazing'_?"

Kakashi appeared to be smiling. "Alright, how about 'Obito, you are _a special_ person'?" The dark haired man let out a chuckle.

"It's true…I am one of a kind," he said, missing the true meaning of '_special_'. Kakashi let out a sigh and led the other to one of the executive rooms. Inside was a small oak table with six chairs, a water fountain with conveniently placed cups, and an overhead projection screen. The two took a seat around the table.

"Can I get some water? I'm kind of parched," Obito asked, grabbing a cup. The older male nodded and waited for the other to resettle. He had known Obito since elementary school and the guy was still the same; to cheery for his own good and a procrastinator. That's why he was surprised of the sudden visit; this man always took his time.

"So…" His friend enjoyed his last cup of water before sitting down. "How are you?" Kakashi leaned back in the chair.

"I'm fine. How about you?"

Obito grinned. "Pretty good actually. I managed to grab a date." Kakashi snorted. Obito always had a date and it bothered him a bit. _Why must someone go on so many dates?_

"Nice to hear." He said unenthusiastically. "So what information were you able to find?" The dark-haired man noticed the drop of temperature in the room. His friend seemed a bit pissed for whatever reason. Maybe the man didn't get enough sleep.

"Well, for starters he's up north, most likely around Sapporo. There were said to be some sightings of him just recently near Sapporo Station and Odori Avenue Park." Obito pulled out a map, zooming in on Northern Japan. "In due time, it is mostly likely he will move down to Aomori. The city holds a festival every year around mid-August and the Akai organizations tend to gather here for recruitment and missions. I found out that in the past three years, five more people have joined Akai. Here are their pictures." Obito pulled out five pictures and spread them along the table. "Moving from left to right: Juugo, Pein, Hidan, Sasori, and Zetsu. All the last names are unknown from what I've been told. Every member is an A-class criminal as you know and they do the dirty work for murderers, sometimes taking the role personally for large sums of money, drugs, and valuables. Murdering large business moguls and important figures was always a great way for hard cash. Hearing that, you would think that they would be easy to track, but they wipe their traces clean. Therefore, I can't pinpoint where the smaller Akai organizations are located or where they will go after the festival but I can assume they will follow the head leader. We know the leader will slowly descend south for he has a _business_opportunity here in Tokyo. Many competing companies wish to rid Uchiha Corporations, so much that they would hire someone to kill. Of course… Akai will take the job. After all…he left the large business in the hands of his dear brother."

"Uchiha Transportation Corporation," Kakashi added mindlessly. "All this for money…I don't understand. He could have had all the money he wanted by inheriting the business." Obito ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't think he's doing this for money, but for power. The kind of power that is worth more than running a business. The kind of power that is strong _in_ and _out _of the workforce. Plus, you know as much as I do that he despised his parents company. I'm not surprised that he would want to destroy it."

"Then why bring Sasuke into this? Why not just take it?" Obito shrugged.

"I think it's a test. A test to see how much Sasuke had grown and matured. A test for Sasuke to prove something to him. In other words, is he a true Uchiha or will he crumble at his feet like their parents? You see, Fugaku and Mikoto let Itachi control them and maybe if they didn't, they would be still alive today."

"I see…well, there is only one thing we can do." Obito smirked.

"And what is that?" Kakashi gathered the pictures into a pile.

"Wait."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The stretch limo pulled up to the large ten story building a quarter to two and out stepped the sexiest man in Tokyo. It was more of one of those slow motion pictures, you know, the wind is blowing, pushing back the guy's tie and his face serious as the camera zooms in on his face. Uchiha Sasuke looked like that, before making his way towards the building. Inside, he was welcomed by the security guards and surprisingly, his three new hired employees. He cursed the timing; Sasuke seriously hoped his new employees wouldn't see him so they could go through with the orientation without him. Now that thought was down the drain.

"Good afternoon, Inuzuka-san, Haruno-san, Hyuga-san," Sasuke said with a slight bow of the head. Kiba held out his hand.

"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san." Sasuke shook his hand and then Hinata's.

"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san."

"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san. How are you?" Sakura asked immediately as she flipped back her hair.

"Fine, thank you." Sasuke turned to the security guard. "Could you please escort these three to the financial department?" The guard nodded and instructed his partner. Sasuke turned back to his new workers. "I shall be with you three momentarily. Please make yourselves comfortable." Then with another bow of the head, the Uchiha sought out the grey haired man other known as Kakashi. That man was suppose to commencing with the New Worker Orientation and he was nowhere to be found. In all honesty, this pissed him off of a bit. The man wasn't his friend per se since he was not fond of those kinds of bonds but he trusted the man to a great extent.

"Kakashi…where are you?" Sasuke murmured under his breath. It wasn't till he was all the way down the 1st floor hall that he heard something. The noise was faint but easy to identify as two voices. Seeing that this is his company and building after all, he should inspect whatever is going on aka ease drop.

"_When…can I see you again?" _one voice said as Sasuke eased closer to the door. The other voice let out a sigh.

"_Soon, I'm going to do a little traveling for the time being. Perhaps Aomori city…"_

"_I don't think its best you go there, what if you run into them?" _Sasuke identified that voice as Kakashi's. The other let out a chuckle.

"_I can take care of myself, I'm a big boy. Plus it's most likely they forgot about me."_

"_You know, I would go with you but I don't want Sasuke to suspect something."_

"_That's why I'm going to help you so you won't have to sit back and wait."_

"_Let me think about it," _Kakashi said softly. The other man let out a low growl.

"_Think about it? What is there to think about?!"_

"_You!" _His voice betrayed him, releasing withheld emotions_. "They could kill you! Do you want me to live life knowing I can never see you again?!" _Sasuke's eyes widen at the conversation. What was going on? The sound of shuffling was heard and then it was silent.

"_Kakashi…don't do this…"_ It was faint but he heard it.

"_Just…let me think…about it."_ It was silent for a few minutes and Sasuke's curiosity peaked. He wanted to open the door but that would be rude and he was not rude…just socially challenged.

"_Want me to come over tonight? Then we can really talk about this…"_

"_Yea…"_

"_I'll be around ten. I have a late shift tonight but I'll be by right after."_

"…_Alright..." _Everything was so quiet that Sasuke was about to press his ear fully on the door. Suddenly, the sound of paper and shuffling of seats were heard and the Uchiha took that as a sign to jog his ass back down the hallway. He was halfway down before the door opened revealing a distraught Kakashi and a distressed dark haired man. The sour vibes were felt all the way down the hallway so the Uchiha picked up the pace and stood by the elevator. Though, it would have been smart choice to push the button.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" the grey haired man asked as he approached. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Waiting for the elevator," he said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Let me give you a hint...for it to work you have to push the button." Kakashi pushed the 'Up' arrow and walked past the young heir. Sasuke glared.

"I did push it; this piece of shit just doesn't work," he lied. Kakashi didn't respond. He continued to walk up front with a certain man by his side till they reached the entrance. The two exchanged a few words before bidding goodbye and the frowning of the man's eyes did not go unseen by the Uchiha. Something was up and he wanted to know. Maybe he could help in some way.

The steel elevator doors closed, moving to the upper levels and here stood Mr. Nosey in the same spot as before. He was supposed to get on and now Kakashi was going to think something was wrong with him.

"Damn…" Sasuke pushed the button again and prayed for it to arrive before the grey haired man arrived. His prayer, of course, was not answered and Kakashi stood by him giving him a concerned look.

"Are you okay Sasuke?" Sasuke continued to push to button.

"I'm fine," Kakashi let out a sigh and looked down at his watch. It was ten minutes after two and the orientation should have been started by now.

"We're late. Is Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba up there?"

"Yes. Why are you not up there?" the grey haired man glanced vacantly to the side.

"A dear friend paid me a visit," the tone used said otherwise. It must have not been an enthusiastic visit or one he wants to remember. Sasuke was about to question it before he followed Kakashi's gaze down the hall. There stood a blond woman, dressed in a black suit, talking to the security guards. Her voice echoed down the hall.

"My name is Namikaze Tsunade. I'm here to see the CEO, Uchiha Sasuke."

"I'm sorry Miss but Uchiha-san has not notified us of any unexpected arrivals. Please call the main office tomorrow to request a meeting." Tsunade smacked her purse on the desk.

"You're telling me to come back when I just sat in two hour traffic to get here which may I add, in a non-air condition car? Heh, you lost your mind. I'm not leaving till I see Uchiha Sasuke so I suggest you get off your chubby butt and fix this problem." The security guard placed down his sprinkled donut, now self-conscious.

"Miss…" the security guard started to make another excuse but the icy stare the blond woman was giving him changed his mind. He picked up the phone and began contacting the main office.

"Tsunade-san?" Tsunade turned around to face a grey haired man. This better not be head of security because she would hate to make a scene.

"Yes..."

"Hatake Kakashi. Glad to meet you," the man held out his hand which she shook.

"Glad to meet you too," Tsunade glanced down at her watch, "I'm very sorry for being late. There was a lot of traffic."

"It's alright. Please come with me so we can get you situated."

"Thank you," Tsunade grabbed her purse from the counter and muttered a dry, 'Good day' to the security guard. They took the elevator to the tenth floor and she couldn't help to notice the fancy interior. It had this plushy red carpeting which was smooth to the touch.

"Is he okay?" Kakashi asked suddenly. Tsunade gave a sad smile.

"I think so. He always seems to pull out of everything." Kakashi nodded and led her out once the elevator doors opened. It didn't take long till they reached Uchiha Sasuke's office.

"Here is his office. He may be surprised at first but I believe it will benefit you both. Today is the New Worker Orientation which I'm hosting, since Naruto could not join us, is it possible for me to speak to him?"

"Right now it's hard to say…"

"I see…"

"No, it's not that. It's just he's in the hospital… comatose state," Kakashi was stunned and it actually pained him to know the boy was in the hospital.

"I'm sorry…I really didn't know," Tsunade placed a hand on his arm and shook her head.

"It's okay. Pay him a visit sometime…I think he will like that. It would show him that he has people who care about him." Kakashi nodded and knocked on the large door.

"Sasuke, I have someone who I will like you to meet."

"Send them in," Kakashi opened the door and motioned Tsunade inside.

"This is Namikaze Tsunade and she is the aunt of Naruto. Hopefully, you both can answer each other's question. I will be in the financial department if you need me." With that said, Kakashi took his leave, closing the door.

"Tsunade-san," Sasuke walked around his desk and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you." Tsunade's voice got caught her throat as she shook his hand. Uchiha Sasuke was so handsome up close. His photos did not serve justice, like really, she could relate with all the teenage girls and their obsession. That was kind of scary on her part; she was old enough to be his mother.

"You as well," she finally managed to say. Sasuke motioned her to the couch and she mindlessly sat down. This man was going to have her swooning like some kind of school girl.

"How are you?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"Fine, thank you," she responded. "And thank you for seeing me on such a short notice. It's just I need to know what happened yesterday at the interview between you and my nephew." Sasuke's eyes widened a bit. Yesterday interview was fine; it was just what followed after it.

"I see…did something happen?" He asked tersely. His thoughts started drifting back to the paper he received. _Did the blond do something crazy? _If so, he was going to make sure he stayed away from the blond and his aunt. She might be from the loony bin too.

"Well, I found him unconscious in front of my door and when I got him to the hospital…he..." Sasuke sat up in his chair. This woman better not tell him the blond died because the mysterious mute couldn't die. It would be like a punishment if the man died. Sasuke may consider the man a total psychopath but he would never intentionally wish death on someone. "He went into a self-induce coma." Sasuke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding; good thing the blond was alive. "Therefore, I need to know everything that happened." Sasuke nodded and thought over their conversation. Hmm…well, he didn't want to tell her about the beginning of the conversation because he was pretty much an asshole to Naruto so he fast forwarded to the middle of their conversation.

"I asked him…did he feel this job was for him and he told me that he would feel comfortable in this kind of work setting. Really it was just the basic interview questions and how he could serve the company. I wouldn't question anything out of those guidelines." Tsunade nodded.

"So the whole time, he did not react out of the…uhh… ordinary?" Sasuke was really starting to believe the blond was a nutcase. Act out of the ordinary…? That's just basically confirming it.

"No, he appeared fine to me especially when I hired him." Sasuke began to think of the blond's departure, it was a bit awkward. "Well, there was one thing. I told him about background checks and how it's standard procedure. He seemed…apprehensive."

"Apprehensive?"

"Yes, then he smiled and immediately left," Tsunade folded her hands. She knew what happened now; if his background was brought up, it was most likely he wouldn't get the job or be judged for something he didn't do, leading to his reoccurring memories therefore making him lose state of consciousness. Tsunade didn't go to med school for nothing.

"I understand. Thank you. Just one question, I figured you already did a background check. What are your thoughts?" she asked. Sasuke smirked; this was a perfect opportunity to confirm his suspicions.

"Honestly, I think he's crazy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The new employees Kiba, Sakura, and Hinata, sat with the other co-workers known as Shikamaru, Tenten, and Shino around the large oak table. They were all getting acquainted with one another since they would all be partners.

"So what is it like working here with Uchiha Sasuke?" Sakura asked dreamily. Shikamaru yawned.

"Nothing special. You hardly see him anyways but I can't complain…the pay is good." Shino nodded and straightened his glasses.

"Yea, the financial department hardly sees him unlike the other departments but the check every week makes me forget about it. Don't get me wrong we're still under surveillance, he has Yamato-san to supervise us but I believe he's switching to the records department." Sakura frowned at that. She was never going to get with Sasuke at this rate.

"Don't worry; sometimes we have to give Sasuke individual reports so you should see him," Tenten said reassuringly. Sakura nodded and watched Kakashi dim the lights.

"Alright newbies, my name is Hatake Kakashi and I'm basically Sasuke's personal assistant and I'm head of all the supervisors within this building. This department does not have a supervisor at the moment but I assure you I'm working on it. So for the time being, I'm your supervisor. Now in front of you are your Employee handbooks; pages one and two list the table contents. There are eight sections: Introduction, Employment, Compensation, Benefits, Records, Training and Development, Resources, and Appendix. To makes this easier on us, I have created a PowerPoint which lays out the fundamentals. Turn to page number three, for the introduction overview. You can see that this section is broken into two sub-sections: Administration and Our Equal Employment Policy. Administration describes the primary functions of each department and how it is coordinated as well as monitored. You should read over this section to better inform yourselves. Next section is the equal employment. I'm sure you heard of this and the title is self-explanatory. We do not discriminate based on race, color,religion, sex, _sexual orientation_, national origin, and disability unrelated to job performance. In other words, we love everyone." Kakashi clapped his hands together. "Newbies understand?" Kiba, Sakura, and Hinata nodded their heads at once.

"Good. Now we're going to move on to the employment section. I hope you filled up on your dosage of caffeine because this is going to be long. We have a variety of diagrams to cover. So, are there any questions before I begin." Kiba raised his hand. "Yes, Kiba."

"Can I get a cup of coffee?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tsunade was not expecting that answer, it being so blunt and direct. The man could have at least lied, but no he had to be honest. This angered her so much that she was close to breaking her pen.

"What? My nephew is not crazy. How dare you say that?! You have no idea what you are talking about!" Her little outburst did not faze the Uchiha one bit. This was what he wanted; insights on the little mute.

"You asked about my thoughts and I gave you honest answer. You didn't think I was going to lie, were you?" Tsunade glared at him. "A decent woman like yourself wouldn't want to hear lies." Bingo, he got her. That little line softened Tsunade up a bit and lightened her gaze. Damn that Uchiha and his good looks. "Therefore, I would like you to prove to me otherwise." Sasuke pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "Is any of this true?" Tsunade looked down at the paper and opened it up. The headline caught her by surprise.

"15 year-old boy murdered his own parents…" Her brown eyes drifted to the picture; the shock was evident as she closed the paper. "W-where did you get this?" Sasuke gave a slight shrug. "This nonsense is not true. Someone threw random facts together to form a cover story. They were even sick enough to add a picture."

"So you're telling me nothing on that paper is true?" Tsunade opened the paper and shoved it to him.

"His parents names and the fact that his parents were murdered is true. That's all I'm telling you. You want know more, ask the other '_victim_' yourself but don't you dare judge him. It's his wish whether he wants you to know or not." With that said, Tsuande stood up and grabbed her purse. "Thank you Uchiha-san for your time." She held out her hand as Sasuke stood up.

"Thank you as well," he shook her hand and led her to the door. "How can I get in contact with Uzumaki-san?" Tsunade was taken by surprise; the young heir was actually considering her nephew.

"Pay him a visit," Tsunade pulled out a business card.

"This is the address to the hospital." Tsunade nodded and continued down the hall. Sasuke, on the other hand, stared down at the address. She seriously wanted him to pay the blond a visit at the hospital. "Hn."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everybody was about brain-dead by the time they reached the Training and Development section. Kakashi went over so much information that it was more than what they learned in grade school and trust me, Kiba would know. But by magic, they all sprang to life as the walking money entered to room aka Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura was so happy that she began smoothing out her shirt to appear attractive. Sadly, Sasuke didn't even glance her way and immediately went to Kakashi. The two exchanged a few words and they silently agreed on the topic. This caused Kakashi to clap his hands again and grin…well, it appeared that way.

"Newbies, how about a five minute break?" Everybody agreed and started to chat amongst themselves while Kakashi and Sasuke went out into the hall.

"How did it go?" The older man asked as he leaned against the wall. Sasuke pushed back his fallen strands. "Did she shed some light?"

"Did you know he was in the hospital?" Kakashi didn't say anything. "Does this say anything to you? Cause' I don't know if I'm missing something."

"Why does it matter? You're not going to hire him, are you?" Sasuke glared as his defense mechanism. "Maa, don't get angry with me. I'm just saying, why is this bothering you?"

"I don't know. I'm getting two different stories and I'm running out of time. "

"Time for what?"

"If you haven't noticed, a supervisor is needed for the financial department."

"Well, we have three new employees. Choose one of them." Sasuke straightened his tie.

"Don't even go there. That Sakura wasn't even suppose to be here." Kakashi let out a low chuckle.

"Then, what are you going to do?" Sasuke smirked.

"I'm going to ask him myself." Kakashi rolled his eyes. That was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You just figured that out? I thought I told you that already. Anyways, when are going to ask him?" Sasuke shrugged. "Well if you like let's pay him a visit."

"At the hospital?" The older man nodded and Sasuke began walking down the hall but not without saying one last word.

"Fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi re-entered the room and called for everyone's attention. A lot still had to be cover before they went home. They had to finish going over the Training and Development section, the Resource section, and take a quick tour of the building. Hopefully, the whole agenda would be finished within two hours.

"Are you newbies ready?" A couple of people yawned. "Great let's get started." Sakura took this moment to raise her hand.

"Where's Uchiha-san?" Kakashi chuckled.

"Somewhere where you're not. So since that is cleared up, let's move on. We have organized you newbies with our current employees in a work station. For more hands on per se. One thing you have to know is using a computer, since you will be using one to create data sheets and graphs. Now listen up, we have Kiba and Shino together, Shikamaru and Sakura together, and Tenten and Hinata together. Shino, Shikamaru, and Tenten will be your trainer and you will be the trainee. Got that?" Everyone nodded. "Good, any excess information we do not cover today is in the handbook. Questions? Just ask me. These stations will be ready first thing Monday morning. I assume you all will be here at 8:00 a.m. sharp.

"The resource section is organized by a list. Sometimes you may need to call other branches to gather information. As you know, since we are the main branch, it's our job to keep track of everything. Think of it as being the boss of the smaller branches if that makes you feel better. Moving on, we have the Resource department on the third floor. You should go to them for any concerns on financial references. They then go through the Records department if necessary. Understand?" Everyone slowly nodded their head. "Good, so I just covered the main factors. I recommend you read over everything this weekend because if you don't…well, I guess you could find another job. So are you newbies ready for the tour?" Sakura perked up with the word, 'tour'. She would be able to wander the halls and by chance find Sasuke's office. She could play out the whole scene in her head.

Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura, all stood from their seats, ready for the tour. The others remained seated due to some work they had to finished and they of course already seen the whole building.

"T-this is a big building. I-I wonder how long this is going to take," Hinata said as they walked out into the hall.

"Kakashi-san might make it quick. He seems ready to go," Kiba said knowingly. The older man lead them down the hall.

"Onto the elevator newbies…let the tour begin."

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Tsunade stood in the kitchen fixing her a cup of Instant Ramen. She didn't feel like cooking a big meal when it was just herself. Hopefully, Naruto would be back and then they could have a full cooked meal.

"Sarutobi hasn't called…" she murmured to herself. "Maybe his condition is the same. I'll pay Naruto a visit tomorrow. I'm just so tired." Tsunade dragged herself to the living room and watched television while she finished her meal. Some kind of Ninja cartoon was on and it was funny because a little blond kid was playing pranks.

"Brat," she laughed to herself. It wasn't even thirty minutes in the show before she fell asleep on the couch. She was sleeping so heavy that she didn't even hear her house phone ring or the voice message machine.

"_Tsunade, this is Sarutobi…we have a problem. Naruto's condition isn't looking well. Call my office directly."_

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_Otakon convention anyone?_** Take my poll.  
****I always go to these things and never find the courage to dress up.  
****Anyways…  
****Reviews are appreciated. I live off them :-) **


	9. See Me

**A/N: Thanks for the support everyone and just so you know I update my profile frequently on the status of my stories (update times), so check it out sometime. Anyways, here's a long chapter for you.**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

* * *

**Chapter 9: See Me**

_Three colors were all what he could see. Naruto could only see red, black and white. No other colors were visible because only one image had been imprinted in his mind. An image that his mind captured when he helplessly watched from the corner, an image that his mind had took as his parents tried to defend themselves, an image that ruined his life forever. The red covered every solid object in the room. It covered the floor, parts of the wall, the furniture, his body, his parents, that man. The color was just staring at him, burning into his pupils until it was embedded in his mind. He could only faintly notice the other two colors. Black surrounded the room, there was no light. He was in the dark and it made him wonder how he could see the red so clearly. Turning his head to the side, he saw a smaller version of himself in the corner. Eyes lost and undetached like a doll and knees pulled tightly up to his chest. The boy was cold, no heat was radiating of him as if he had passed to the other side. His pale skin could confirm those suspicious but there was a slight rise of the chest; it was faint but it was there. Turning back to the front, the color white took over. White outlined his parent's bodies and their frantic movement. His parents were defending themselves, the white mixing in with the red. Except one body forever remained red as the white outlined bodies fell to the floor. No sound was heard but the scene was so strong he could hear it. He heard the cries of pain shoot through the room, bouncing off the walls. He heard the drippings of blood as it ran down the wall onto the floor, he heard that man's voice, and he heard his voice completely crack as he screamed out to them. It was so mind shattering that he began to clutch his head in agony; he couldn't take it. Then it felt like time had completely stopped. He heard nothing as he lifted his head, he just saw. Blood ran down his face, fingers, arms, it was everywhere. It wouldn't come off wherever he touched. He touched the floor, the couch, the curtains, it wouldn't come off. Then he stepped into a puddle, it slowly washed over his bare feet. It was warm, thick, and sticky. It had this distinctive but similar smell, like the smell that covered his body. Blood. It was a puddle of blood but it wasn't his blood, it wasn't that man's blood, it was parents. Realization struck again immediately and time resumed as he screamed his heart out. He screamed till his throat burned and fell to his knees. The blood continued to wash over him but he didn't care. He crawled to his parents, blood sliding through his fingers to find he couldn't look at their faces. Not because he was too sick but because their faces weren't there. It didn't even look like his parents just a pair of bodies. That made him vomit a second later, emptying his stomach. His awareness was starting to slip but it was still there. He could sense that that man was still in the room and that that man was crouching in front of his younger self. He was stroking the boy's hair, feeling the blood among the tresses and whispering something of the sick nature. His younger self remained detached as before though, like he was close to giving up life, not even reacting to the man's words. Then the man's hand rested against the boy's cheek, as if a gentle gesture and smeared the blood across his check from the three fresh scars. He did it to the other cheek as well before standing up and walking back to the lifeless bodies. Naruto remained in the same position as if the will to move would make things worse. The man seemed not to notice him and reached down to pull off his father's shirt. Naruto could only watch for a minute before turning to the side to release the vomit which started to overflow his mouth. The sound of sloshing to his left caused him to hesitantly look up a moment after and he saw the man absorbing the blood on the floor with his father's shirt. The man then walked over to the nearest wall, blood dripping from the shirt as if it was water and drew a large swirl. He added other unfamiliar attributes quickly after before dropping the shirt to the floor. Naruto could only watch in his traumatized state as the man started to talk to his younger self. The boy was still detached from the world like before but if one looked closely, you could see the quick flicker of the eyelids. The man pulled out the drenched weapon from his back pocket and wrapped the boy's hand around it, making him squeeze it tight. The weapon dropped a second later by the boy's feet as if he lost the will to hold it but his eyes remained the same. The man stood up soon after and walked slowly out the back door as if nothing had happened. The boy though remained in the same position, lost from reality and Naruto remained in the same position as well, blood flowing around his knees, eyes unfocused, and the urge to be really lost from reality. And as if it was destined to happen, everything went completely black._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi stood in the financial department, cleaning up the items left from the New Worker Orientation. The new employees had just left since everything was completed for the day and he was relieved. These orientations always took a lot out of him especially when he could be doing more important things like reading his new edition of Icha Icha Paradise. Those explicit romance novels gave him the energy to wake up every morning and go to work. After all, you needed a job with a good income to buy the books. Maybe he could read a few chapters tonight before Obito came over; if he hurried he might be able to get three chapters in. That thought alone boosted Kakashi's energy to a higher level and he quickly cleaned the dry-erase boards. This action of course did not go by unnoticed by the other employees. It brought curiosity out of Shikamaru and Tenten and Shino seemed to stop all together.

"What are you doing?" Shino asked monotonously. Kakashi turned around and gave an 'appeared-to-be' grin.

"Cleaning of course," Shikamaru then gave him the 'are you an idiot?' look.

"He meant what's with this spur of energy," the older man seemed to drift off in deep thought as he thought of an appropriate answer.

"A man's favorite pastime," the answer was so innocent. He could be talking about playing a nice game of cards or taking a nap but Kakashi was never innocent so you could only assume the worse. Tenten considered his answer for a minute; it resulted to blinking once and a flash of disgust. Shino just shrugged, not really caring what the man was doing and Shikamaru, well…just looked bored. His face showed no sign of thinking or even that he was aware of his surroundings but nevertheless, he shuffled in his chair and got back to work. This caused Kakashi to let out a soft chuckle and resume cleaning the table. The financial department hosted an unusual bunch of employees and he was sure that Uzumaki-san would fit in perfectly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke sat at his desk rereading the background checks before placing them in the appropriate files. Naruto's background remained on his desk though. He wasn't sure what made him question the blond's whereabouts or even agreeing to visit him at the hospital. He also didn't know why he was so curious of the man's background. Usually, he would never give a second thought and move on with his life but the thought of moving on and never knowing the truth was really bothering him. That fact alone was very nerve wrecking and strange as well, nothing was supposed to bother him to an extent. That too regarded his brother; he would never let his brother get to him because he was smarter than before, way smarter.

The hospital business card sat on his desk as well. Staring at him as if waiting for some kind of reaction, the bolded letters seemed to mock him. _'He's not going to show up, he doesn't have the guts.'_ But Sasuke was going to prove this business card wrong; he was going to visit the mute in the hospital. When? He wasn't exactly sure and that makes you question his sanity. Why would you try to prove something to a business card? The same question hit him and he laughed. The laugh wasn't normal though; it sounded so foreign and scary that if you were in the same room, you might want to hide behind the couch. The laughter died down eventually and Sasuke turned his attention to the paper on the desk. He didn't need useless piece of information because he was going to get the real thing. The Uchiha folded the paper up in the shape of a paper airplane and drew his business symbol along the flap. Again, his sanity is still in question. Then he threwit in the air making it land in the small trashcan by the door. An overwhelming feeling of smugness flowed through him afterwards. He made it in the trashcan as a perfect shot, usually paper airplanes don't get that far but his did. He was about to make another one before a knock resounded through the door.

"Sasuke, it's me," Kakashi called. "Can I come in?" Sasuke frowned but it was hard to tell if he was disappointed about not being able to make another plane or that he had to see the grey haired man.

"Yeah," Kakashi opened the door, shutting it behind him and leaned against the doorframe. He appeared to be in an overly happy mood which was…well…normal.

"The orientation is finished. It's such a shame that you missed it."

"Hn," was the reply. Sasuke didn't have enough patience for orientations and all that talking would be too tiring. Kakashi knew that so he was far from surprised.

"So are you still going to the hospital?" he asked. Sasuke was going to shrug and act like he was still deciding but his eyes landed on that mocking business card.

"Yeah. This weekend," the older man was interested now; his boss seemed determined and sure of himself.

"Oh really?" Kakashi lifted his eyebrows for emphasis and Sasuke couldn't help to roll his eyes.

"Yes, really. Now what do you want?" Sasuke asked, his eyes fixed narrowly on the older man's. The grey haired man shrugged, he just wanted to bother the Uchiha.

"Why? Did you have something you needed to do?" Sasuke's dark eyes drifted to the trashcan where his paper plane lay; he wanted to make another one. Kakashi took notice and looked in the trashcan. "I'm surprised in you Sasuke, making paper airplanes and not only that, you even drew the company symbol on there." The young Uchiha felt his face heating up. If it was from anger or embarrassment, he didn't know. "Are you okay, Sasuke? You're looking a little red." The laughter was in his voice. Kakashi knew how to get a reaction out of the stoic Uchiha and savored it to its fullest.

"Shut up," he said lowly. This time Kakashi let out a laugh. The situation was funny; a grown man was creating paper airplanes when he had a business to run. Kakashi loved this childish side of Sasuke; it was like the old days when he would baby-sit the boy.

"No need to get all huffy-puffy. I just came to tell you I'm heading out a little early today. Some things I have to do." Sasuke had to wonder did these 'things' have to deal with that man earlier. "You can survive without me, right?" Now, Sasuke could care less about the man leaving.

"I don't need you. Leave," the words were cold but you could tell he really didn't mean it. Kakashi from experience learned to shrug it off.

"Well, call me if something comes up," Sasuke watched the man leave and his stomach took a turn for the worst; an overload of guilt. He never intended to be mean to Kakashi but it always happened. The man, in reality, was closest person he had left. If Kakashi was to get up and leave one day, Sasuke for sure would fall to pieces. He really did need the man and at the same time hated to admit it.

"_Damn…"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A blue glow reflected off the TV, lighting the room. A series of shows had passed since the oversized object was turned on and the unawareness was still resumed by the woman on the couch. She laid with her head on the armrest, legs splayed over the cushions and arms over her chest to keep warm. She was cold but the laziness to get a blanket dragged on. Why leave a perfect dream for a piece of fabric? She didn't know but one eye made contact with the ceiling and a second later, so did the other. _'Where am I?'_ Tsunade was experiencing a small form of amnesia but it quickly faded when she saw the television.

"What time is it?" she murmured to herself as she glanced at the clock. It was ten after nine. Picking up the remote, she turned off the T.V and threw her leftover food in the trash. She wasn't hungry anymore, usually she would grab two scoops of strawberry ice cream but tonight she wasn't feeling it. She probably wouldn't have any taste for it until Naruto returned. Tsunade turned out all the lights as she made it to her room and walked past the phone. The red blinking voicemail sensor didn't even seem to catch her attention. The blond woman only had one goal in mind and that was retreating to her room to her comfy bed. That couch added pressure on all the wrong parts of her back and it wasn't good. Changing into her night garments, Tsunade stepped in bed and pulled the sheets over her. Hopefully, rest would come easy tonight so she could visit Naruto.

Time passed and the clock seemed to tick in a melodic rhythm as its still form sat on the dresser. If one was to listen closely, you could count the beats where the short hand would make a move clockwise. You would also know it took 48 beats till the phone let out a sharp ring and 50 beats for Tsunade to grab the phone.

"_Hello?"_ she said, hazed from sleep.

"_Tsunade, this is Sarutobi. I'm calling about Naruto's condition. Did you receive my message?"_

"_You left a message?"_ Tsunade asked, more alert.

"_Yes, Naruto's condition is not looking too well. We had to re-stabilize him to get his heart rate back to normal. His heart was beating at a deathly rate meaning if this continued he would have died. We can only assume what his mind sees and I gave him dosage Clozapine to help block those thoughts. The drug seemed to offer a positive response and I recommend getting him a prescription to help him for the time being."_

"_Clozapine? Clozapine is a type anti-psychotic medication. Naruto is not crazy and I don't believe he is schizophrenic or anything else for that matter_." Sarutobi's sigh was heard from the background.

"_Tsunade, I'm only going from his files. He was classified as a schizophrenic when he was sent to the mental hospital. He had all the symptoms at the time. He didn't speak, express emotion openly, he didn't remember where he was at times and he experienced multiple hallucination episodes to the point where he was locked in his room. I'm only doing what I think is best Tsunade. I will take him off the medication if I'm proved otherwise but for the time-being, he's going to be on Clozapine."_

"_Okay, I understand. I know you have the best interest in mind."_

"_Thank you Tsunade. Are you coming up to the hospital tonight?"_

"_Yes. I'll be there shortly."_

"_Alright, come to see me once you arrive. I can give you the prescription then."_

"_Okay, thank you." _The call ended shortly after and the blond woman slowly stepped out the bed. She didn't know what she was feeling, whether it was anger, sadness, or understanding. She didn't know but one thing she did know was that she wanted Naruto home. Tsunade quickly dressed and brushed her hair before leaving to the hospital. She was tired but it was okay because she had to be to work early the next day so she could just stay overnight. After all, this was nothing new. Nothing was ever new.

'_Prove Sarutobi wrong Naruto…' _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hatake Kakashi was satisfied. He had finished three chapters of his Icha Icha Paradise book and was about to move on to the fourth. His excitement was basically flowing the room as he read the first five lines of the sappy romance novel. The scene was a couple sharing popcorn at the Movies Theater but soon after things started to get heated. Where the hell did an oversize butter fountain come from and what happened to their clothes? Kakashi didn't know, he didn't even care, he just continued till he got to the X-rated part. This part had him bite back his overflow of giggles.

'_Want to pop my cornel baby?'_ The thought made the situation way funnier and his laughs echoed the room. Icha Icha Paradise was a classic. He was interrupted though by doorbell.

"Who is it?" he called happily. It was clear his porno books were his drug

"It's me," Kakashi's happy façade dropped. It was Obito. Now that was a mood ruiner. The older man slowly opened the door.

"Hey."

"Hey," Obito stepped inside and took a look around, touching some knick-knacks before plopping on the couch. "You've changed the place. It's nice."

"Yeah," Kakashi slowly walked over and sat down. The atmosphere was so tense; a knife would break if he attempted to cut it. "So, how was work?"

"It was fine. You know, the usual lectures," Kakashi nodded. Obito was a college professor at Konoha University and taught the weekly night classes. The thought of Obito being a teacher still puzzled Kakashi today. "How about you? Was work okay?"

"Yeah, I had to host the New Worker Orientation. We had fired three people because of stolen funds and we needed the positions filled," Obito nodded.

"So did you do any thinking on the situation?" the man asked hesitantly. Kakashi stared up at the ceiling as his thoughts took over. He did do a little thinking. He wanted Obito to keep his ass at home but he couldn't possibly say that. And plus, it wasn't like the man was going to listen. In grade school, Obito never listened to him. He made friends, he had fun, and he went out when Kakashi denied such things. Kakashi didn't want other friends. He had a best friend. _Obito._ Obito was his best friend and only friend, he didn't want to share. As selfish as it sounded, it was true and it was the same till this day. Kakashi did not want to share him or allow the man to get hurt.

"Does it matter?" he asked quietly. The dark haired man didn't know what to say. It did matter because they were best friends. The thoughts of Kakashi were the only thing that mattered.

"It-it does matter. You know that. It's just I'm older now Kakashi, I can handle myself. I don't need protection just your support. You think I can't do things but I can," It was true, Kakashi didn't think the man could do it so he always said, 'no'.

"Are you sure they don't remember you?" he asked absentmindedly.

"It's most likely they don't, it's been over several years. Plus, I had that surfer look going on," Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"That wasn't a surfer look. It looked like the end of a mop," Obito let out a chuckle; it seemed the tension was easing up.

"Now that I think about it, you're right. It was more of a mop," Kakashi let out a small smile.

"Well, I guess there is nothing to think about then. I'm going to let you go because I know you are just trying to help. And I want to say that I'm sorry. I know…I've been really selfish lately and a not-so-good friend. So I'm sorry and I promise to work on it," Obito grinned.

"About time, old man! It took you like thirty years but I appreciate it. I'm going to get all the information about Akai for you so fast that you won't even know I'm gone and I'll even buy you some souvenirs. How does that sound?"

'_I'll know you're gone.'_

"Sounds good," Kakashi leaned his head back. "Very good," His friend's grin got wider if that was possible and scratched his head.

"So what were you doing before I showed up?" This earned a 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look from Kakashi which was followed by a pink tint.

"N-nothing, just...umm…reading."

"Reading what?" Kakashi tapped his chin as a distraction and let out a nervous chuckle.

"P-Papers for work, yeah, I had to look over some papers for tomorrow."

"Oh…" Obito didn't seem to believe him considering he knew Kakashi was pervert but didn't question it. "Well, do you want to go out and get something to drink like old times?" The older man gave a smile.

"Sure, I would like that," Kakashi grabbed his keys and jacket and they went to a bar further up town. They went in his Mercedes because Obito wanted to attract the ladies. Too bad it didn't really work but it was okay. He was hanging out with his friend and he couldn't ask for more or maybe he could.

"Hey Kakashi, do you have Icha Icha Paradise limited edition by chance?" the slight swerve of the wheel was the answer.

"I knew it! You've been holding out on me!" he laughed. He asked Kakashi about the book last week and the man claimed he never heard of the series. It wouldn't surprise him if the man tried to deny it now and of course he did.

"_Icha what?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was _Sunday_. The calendar basically screamed it as he sipped on his coffee and he didn't know why. Well, he did know why. He was supposed to visit the blond today since he was too lazy to do it yesterday. But he really didn't know how to go about it. Was he supposed to show up and act nice? The word '_nice'_ caused him to shudder. He hated that word. It was so odd and well… _nice_. Maybe he could leave the little mute a 'Get Well' card with an assumed work schedule so once he wakes up he can stop moping or whatever and get to work. Because in reality, Uchiha Sasuke had no time to waste. That position needed to be filled immediately. Picking up his phone, he called Kakashi. He wasn't going to the hospital by himself. How awkward would that be?

"_If it isn't Sasuke? He never calls me. I'm surprised."_ Even though he couldn't see it, he knew Sasuke was rolling his eyes.

"_Kakashi. The hospital."_

"_Oh yea…you're still going?"_ he asked curiously.

"_I told you didn't I?"_

"_I forgot."_

"_Kakashi…" _Sasuke drawled out annoyed_. "Are you picking me up or what?"_ this caused the older man to laugh.

"_Yeah. I'll be by shortly to pick you up."_

"_Pick up a card."_

"_A card?"_

"_Yes, one of those Get-well cards or something," _Kakashi chuckled.

"_Aww you're getting him one?"_

"_No you are and you're signing your name. I don't do cards," _he said monotonously_._

"_Okay, I'll pick one up. I'll be by in twenty."_

"_Alright," _Sasuke hung up and flipped through the newspaper. Sells were up again and that made everything better.

Kakashi arrived not long after and picked the young Uchiha up. The ride was quiet to the hospital until Kakashi showed him the card. It had this smiling sun on the cover which said 'Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts'. Next to the words 'healing thoughts' was a blue cloud smiling. This alone made Sasuke's eyes start to twitch and hesitant to open it up. The inside had a big smiling flower with lettering by its side, 'Hope today finds you feeling much better!' Sasuke found this card so disturbing and was appalled to see his name at the bottom. Kakashi wrote his name in black cursive!

"Kakashi…" the Uchiha was angry. No, it was more than anger.

"Did you like it? I knew you loved clouds and smiling faces," Sasuke looked at him venomously. He seriously wanted to hurt the man in some way.

"My name…you forged my name on this _'nice'_ card!"

"No need to thank me. It was no problem," Sasuke gripped the arm rest; he was a second away from kicking Kakashi out of the car.

"Oh look, we're here!" the older man said happily because if by chance Sasuke tried to hurt him, he would have some first-aid. Sasuke looked around and grumbled something lowly before stepping out of the car. Kakashi makes him so mad and the fact that he's the only man who can do it pisses him off. "Turn that frown upside down. If you scare the nurses away, they might not let us see Naruto."

"Hn," Sasuke followed the man into the hospital to the front desk. The receptionist seemed to freeze in place as she saw him. Seeing the richest hottest man in Tokyo right before your eyes could do that to you.

"Hi, we would like to see Uzumaki Naruto," the woman seemed not to hear the grey haired man. Her mind was focused on the heartthrob in front of her. He looked so amazing that she wanted to push him in the closet and do things.

"Miss…Miss?" the woman seemed to snap to reality and took notice of the older man in front of her.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, we would like to see Uzumaki Naruto," the woman typed the name in the computer and searched for his room. It seemed he was not allowed any visitors and needed approval otherwise.

"I'm sorry; it says he's not allowed visitors. It needs specific approval before releasing room number. I can ask Dr. Tsunade or Dr. Sarutobi for you."

"Tsunade-san?" Kakashi asked curiously. The woman nodded

"Yes, Tsunade-sama is the dermatologist here at the hospital. Approval from her is required considering this is her nephew," Sasuke let out a sigh; this was taking too long.

"Can you please tell me where Tsunade-san's office is located? I'm in bit of a hurry," the woman turned red as tomato. Sasuke was within her touching range, any closer and she would need restraints.

"O-Of course…it's…umm…on the fourth floor, Room 401. It's not hard to miss," Sasuke murmured a 'thanks' as she handed them guest badges and walked to the elevator.

"I saw someone was putting their looks to use," Sasuke shrugged.

"No, I was getting what we needed. You were taking to long," Kakashi let out a small chuckle as they rode the elevator to the fourth floor. "Her office should be on the left." And indeed Sasuke was correct. The door to Tsunade's office was open and she was going over some paperwork.

"Shizune, did you hand the last patient his prescription?" she asked, without looking up from her paperwork.

"Tsunade-san?" Kakashi asked, knocking on the door. The blond woman finally looked up and she was truly surprised. She didn't think the two busiest men in Tokyo would actually show up to visit her newphew. So when they stepped in her office, her pen froze along the document.

"Hatake-san, Uchiha-san, nice to see you. What pays the visit? I know you're not here for skin care," Kakashi let out a chuckle and Tsunade stood to shake their hands.

"No, we're actually here to see Uzumaki-san. The front desk told us we needed approval from yours truly."

"Oh yes, I need to know the people who are visiting, just for precautions of course. I'm happy you two decided to visit though, it really means a lot. So if you like, I can show you to his room," the older man smiled and his companion nodded his head in agreement. "Ok, we can take the elevator. He's on the third floor," Tsunade grabbed her white lab coat from her chair and led them to the elevator.

"Shizune, you handed the prescription slip correct?" the dark haired woman nodded.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Thank you. I'll be right back; it seems we have some visitors for Naruto," Shizune's eyes widened a fraction. Nobody actually visited the blond except her and Tsunade.

"Nice to meet you," she shook their hands while trying to avoid 'eye-to-eye' contact. Sasuke was too good-looking for his own good.

"Nice to meet you as well, Shizune-san," Kakashi greeted.

"Yes, it's a pleasure," Sasuke agreed monotonously. The greeting didn't sound so friendly but she didn't care. Someone who was basically famous talked to her; she could die happy now.

"Please excuse me," Shizune bowed and retreated down the hall. Surprisingly she had pep in her step. Tsunade smiled and led them to the elevator. It didn't take them long to reach room 316; Naruto's room.

"Here we are," Tsunade opened the door and grabbed them two chairs. "He hasn't woken up yet but his health is getting better, it's only a matter of time now but don't be afraid to sit down," she emphasized by patting the chairs. "You don't know how happy this will make him."

"Thank you Tsunade-san," Kakashi said politely and Sasuke nodded in response.

"Well, I'll be in my office if you need me and if something happens, you can push the blue button to your left. A nurse will show up if there is a problem," Tsunade gave a parting smile before closing the door while Kakashi and Sasuke stood off to the side like foreigners in another country.

"Well Sasuke, go read him your card," Kakashi said highly amused.

"Shut up, how could you buy such a stupid card?" Sasuke hissed.

"Stop trying to deny it Sasuke, you love the smiling flowers and clouds."

"Want me to show you how much I like it?" Sasuke threw the card on the floor in disgust. The older man 'tsked' and picked the card up off the floor.

"That wasn't very nice. This is Uzumaki-san's card, now be a nice person and place it on the side table," Sasuke growled and snatched the card out the man's hands before angrily walking over to the side table. Kakashi makes him so mad! That man always manages to get under his skin. Kakashi, on the other hand, bit back laughter. It was amazing how Sasuke was so much like a child. It was truly amusing. "Now how about you read it to him?" A venomous glare was shot his way. "Don't be like that, read it." Sasuke was really close to ripping the card in half but decided to be '_nice'_ and read it.

"Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts," the words were said so dully, that the flowers started to frown. "Hope today finds you feeling much better," the last part was said so sourly that you wouldn't want to feel better.

"S-Sasuke…can't you be a little happier? That sounded so dead," Sasuke sent a glare Kakashi's way.

"How about I shove this card up your ass!" the older man shook his head.

"That wasn't very nice Sasuke. You need to learn how to express positive emotion. Now try again," the Uchiha didn't say anything. He wasn't going to say anything because he wasn't reading that stupid card again. "How about I read it as an example?" Kakashi walked over and read the card.

"Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts Uzumaki-san!" he said lively. "Hope today finds you feeling much better!" then he described the pictures to the unconscious blond. "See Sasuke, that wasn't so hard," the Uchiha crossed his arms.

"That was embarrassing. I'm not doing that," the older man sighed.

"Alright, just say it a bit happier than before," the dark haired man rolled his eyes but nevertheless read the card.

"Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts," the words weren't exactly happy but it boosted the flowers. "Hope today finds you feeling much better," the last part was a little less sour so Kakashi couldn't complain. "There. Are you happy now?"

"Yes. You made me a happy person," Sasuke rolled his eyes and placed the card on the side table. "So Sasuke…do you have anything you would like to say?"

"No," he responded automatically. Kakashi grabbed a chair and sat down, signaling his companion should do the same. Sasuke took a seat a moment later.

"Are you sure? Want to say anything about the interview?"

"Why? It's not like he can respond," the older man leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

"It's most likely he can hear you and besides, he wouldn't respond even if he was awake. He doesn't talk remember?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Fine. Uzumaki-san, the interview went well and you are welcome to the job position. There are just a few questions I need to ask about…" Sasuke faded off. This was so stupid to him! Why was he talking to someone who was unconscious? He was just wasting his breath. "This is stupid Kakashi; I rather talk to him when he is alert."

"Alright. Well I'll talk to him then," Sasuke watched as the older man talked about the job orientation and what he missed. He also talked about the upcoming events and how he didn't miss much since the interview. The visit lasted about an hour before they decided to head out and Sasuke left a business card in case the blond woke up. He wasn't planning on visiting the hospital again considering this was a 'once-in-a-lifetime' thing so hopefully the man would get the message. He wasn't sure about Kakashi though; the man enjoyed talking to the unconscious mute.

"Well that was nice. I enjoyed our visit," Kakashi said as they left Tsunade's office. They went to tell her of their leave and how they were glad to see him.

"Hn," was the response from his sour companion.

"Think of the bright side Sasuke, you got him a very 'nice' card," Sasuke murmured a 'shut-up' and ignored the other man till they reached the car.

"Turn that frown upside down," Kakashi said amusedly. The amusement didn't last long though because Sasuke caused him to need first-aid.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the day went by surprisingly smooth at the hospital. No severe incidents or major surgeries welcomed the hospital and that made the day even more special. It was more special because a certain person decided to greet the room with foggy cerulean eyes. The man didn't know where he was and panicked at first but it quickly faded as he saw his hospital gown. He was at the hospital. A regular hospital, not the mental hospital and that made it all the more better. The room greeted him in return with the steady beeping of the monitor and the soft chatter out in the hall. The man still didn't know what happened for him to end up the hospital and decided to block out further possibilities. He wanted to remember only good things for the time being like what happened in his dream. Someone came to visit him and they talked to him like a normal person, he couldn't remember the faces but the voices sounded similar to the Bastard's and Hatake-san. It was weird though because those two people would never visit him; they probably thought he was crazy. The negative thoughts started pouring in at that moment and the blond quickly suppressed them with happy images. Once he was calm, he took another glance around the room. On the side table there were three cards and the young man hesitantly took them down. He wanted to read them all but sleep was taking over so he took the one from the top.

'_Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts…" _A tan hand rubbed across the pictures and it made him smile. It was colorful and nice and he could only wonder what it said in the inside as his eyes drifted close. But he had a faint idea, the Bastard in his dream read it to him too. A little less enthusiastic but the words were there.

'_Hope today finds you feeling much better.' _

Naruto was definitely feeling much better and it was all thanks to his dream or _was it? _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Naruto's back! Now you can all squeal in delight.  
****Also, you can see the Get-well card in my profile. I created a link!  
Anyways, reviews are appreciated :-) **


	10. Release Me

**A/N: Sorry for the long disappearance, my internet box thingy broke and I had to wait to get another one (you probably thought I died) but on the brighter side, I met Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke's voice) and his voice was so hot that I froze when I got his autograph. O-O**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
__yet not many hear it  
__When was the last time  
__you actually listened  
__to the silence?  
__Could you hear it?  
__Or was it too much to bear…  
__to be forever silent?_

**Chapter 10: Release Me**

Namikaze Tsunade was surprised. No, it was more like complete utter shock to the point her mouth stayed open like a Venus fly trap. Her nephew _had _been awake and _had_ been fully aware of his surroundings which was even better. How else would the cards move from the side table to his chest? There was only **one **way and the happiness that flowed through her could not be described because it was more of a rush, filling every bit of her insides to the extent of wanting to burst. She wanted to hug him, squeeze him, kiss him but she refrained and slowly walked over to his bedside. The young man was truly a sight; his skin was back to its normal shade, his breathing was even, and overall, the man was completely relaxed as if there were no more barriers for him to fight. Tsunade reached out and gently brushed back the hair that seemed to shadow his lids. She had to admit, her nephew was one handsome young man and it made her question his dating history. Had the man ever went out on a date and met someone? Most likely not and that was okay with her because he didn't need anyone judging him, not now anyways. Looking down, she gently removed the cards to find one tightly gripped in his hand. This made curiosity spark in her brown eyes and she carefully removed the card to read the cover.

'_Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts,'_ the little blue cloud made her smile and drove her to read the inside. _'Hope today finds you feeling much better,'_ her brown eyes drifted to bottom to find neat cursive, _'Uchiha Sasuke'_. Tsunade couldn't help but to let out a small laugh. Who knew Uchiha Sasuke gave out 'Get-well' cards?

Tsunade carefully placed the cards back on the side table and tightened the blanket around him before planting a kiss on his forehead and retreating from the room. Hopefully when she returned in the morning, he would be awake and his normal self again. Who knew one little visit could do so much?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sun shone through the large glass windows, signaling of the early morning and that it was officially Monday. Monday meant a certain company owner had to get out of bed to run that certain company. The man in bed knew this as well therefore he stared up at the ceiling wishing it would swallow him whole. After about ten minutes of endless staring, he slowly climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a morning shower. Sasuke twisted the shower knob to cold to reduce his body heat and stepped into the shower. The water caused him to hiss at the feeling but sure enough, it made him feel refreshed and wide awake. Grabbing his vanilla scented shampoo, he squeezed some into his hand and massaged the soap through his hair. The action seemed to move in slow motion as he dipped his head under the shower head and washed out the suds. The bubbles seemed to pile around his feet as he continued washing and it wasn't look before a pale hand turned the knob, shutting the water off. Sasuke's day plan seemed to ring in head as he stepped out the tub and grabbed his towel from the side rack. He had to meet with the company's advertising manager about new magazine ads, bigger billboards, and commercial ads. Then, he had a meeting with the other board members about the weekly sales, and he had to check up with the other branches about their status. Overall, the day was a normal work-day.

Towel drying his hair, Sasuke threw on a clean undershirt and grabbed a dress shirt from the closet before slipping on a pair of boxers and black dress pants. It didn't take long for him to get ready and within a few minutes, he was dressed from head to toe with a grey tie placed perfectly in the middle. He was a perfect example of a male model but the thought of modeling never crossed his mind. He wasn't into eating little amounts of food to the point that your stomach wanted to devour itself plus he didn't want people telling him what to do. Uchiha Sasuke made orders not follow them. That was like an unsaid rule and whoever crossed him was going to be in for a big surprise. Sasuke's dirty sock was worth more than a random family's life combined and he wasn't afraid to tell it to your face. Many times he had people cry as reality hit them and this disturbed Sasuke in some odd way. Why cry over the truth? He was actually doing them a favor even though he didn't use the friendliest terms. A few flashbacks came to him as he brushed his teeth and couldn't help to laugh. Tears streaming down peoples faces as if they just realized they were nobody. The images caused Sasuke to laugh louder as one thought occurred to him. He was one sadistic bastard.

"Sa-dis-tic," Sasuke allowed the word to roll of his tongue. He liked the word, it made him feel powerful. "Sadistic," a smirk formed on his lips as he looked in the mirror and spit into the sink. Today was going to be a good day after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Foggy cerulean eyes opened to a bare ceiling, registering his surroundings. He was at the hospital, a normal one not a mental hospital. He woke up yesterday to find 'Get-well' cards on the side dresser_. Was that true?_Naruto turned his head to find the cards he had seen yesterday. Everything was like he remembered as well as his normal body functions. The blond had to use the bathroom; his lower half was basically screaming it. When was the last time he used the bathroom? He didn't know nor did he care, he was going to the bathroom. As if he knew his way, a pair of legs swung over the bed and carefully planted themselves on the cold tile. It sent chills up the young man's spin as he grabbed the bed railing. His balance was a bit wobbly and he felt weak but he had enough strength to make it to the bathroom. Slowly shuffling his IV hook, Naruto made his way to the bathroom by the door. It seemed to take forever but he made it before his friend decided to slip. Naruto felt like he was being emptied as he released himself, he really haven't felt that good in ages. That was until a panicked screamed echoed his ears and made him loose direction. _So much for feeling good._Naruto quickly cleaned himself up while tugging on his IV hook and washed his hands. It was pretty difficult with that needle in his arm but he had experienced much worse that he couldn't complain.

"Naruto!" the voice yelled. The blond grabbed the doorknob and opened to find his aunt scared out of her mind. She didn't know where her nephew was and she knew he was in no condition to start walking all over the place. The squeaking of the IV hook caused her to turn around and everything seemed to freeze in time. She looked at the young man who seemed to sheepishly smile at her then she blinked, resuming time once more.

"Naruto…" Tsunade slowly walked over to him and gently hugged him. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" Naruto smiled to first question and shook his head to the second. "Oh okay, so how do you feel? Like are you sick? Having any kind of thoughts?" The young man lifted his finger as if saying, 'one minute' and slowly walked back to the bed. Once he was comfortable, he pointed to the side table for a pad and pen. Tsunade took the hint and grabbed the items for him so he could write.

'_I'm fine, a little headache but I feel good. I'm not sick, I just had to use to the bathroom and I don't have any thoughts. I don't remember how I got here…'_Tsunade read the note silently and took a seat next to him.

"You don't remember?" Naruto shook his head. "I found you…outside our door. You were unconscious and sweating profusely," the man seemed to frown at the thought but showed no other remembrance. "Well, maybe its best you don't remember. You can start fresh with everything. I mean, you just got a new job," Naruto looked at her confused. He didn't have a job, he was unemployed and just the thought bothered him.

'_I don't have a job. Uchiha Corps never hired me,' _Tsunade smiled and allowed her eyes to drift to the card on the side table. Her nephew took notice and picked up the card he read yesterday. The lettering seemed to play in his head.

'_Sending you sunny smiles, warm wishes, and healing thoughts…' _now that he thought about it, he never knew who sent him the card so quickly opened it to see the fine cursive at the bottom, _'Uchiha Sasuke.'_ He looked at his aunt for confirmation and she nodded.

"He visited you yesterday along with Hatake-san. They picked up that nice card as well. You are one lucky person, you know that? That money making machine never visits anybody so you must be pretty special in his eyes. He even left his business card for you to call, I can call on your behalf if you would like. I think this is a big sign, that you…" Tsunade emphasized by pointing to the man on the bed. "Uzumaki Naruto has a job," hearing those words, a light seemed to overtake those dull blue eyes and a grin formed that seemed painful to an onlooker. Naruto couldn't believe it. He got the job considering his background, the bastard actually visited him, and he was on his way to getting a Mercedes convertible. The different colors of his new car seemed to flash in his head and Tsunade laughed as if she could read his mind.

"Come back to earth, Naruto. You still have to get better before accepting that job. I don't want a repeat of the other night," Naruto waved his hand in a dismissal manner. He didn't really know what happened that night, he only remembered the interview and everything before that, and so what he couldn't remember shouldn't bother him right? He agreed to that little conclusion and grabbed his pad and pen.

'_I understand, but I've never felt better! Honest! So could you have the doctor check me so I can be released? Also, I'm a bit hungry. Bowl of ramen please?'_ Tsunade sighed and stood up.

"I'll ask Dr. Sarutobi…no promises okay and I'll see about the ramen but Naruto, I don't want you rushing into things. I don't think you are well for release but I don't know your body so I can't judge. Just give it some thought okay?" Naruto rolled his eyes but nodded anyways. He didn't know what the big deal was. He was feeling great. Why waste medical care on someone who didn't need it?

"I'll be back shortly," Naruto watched her leave and grabbed the business card from off the table. He was definitely going to contact Uchiha Sasuke as soon as possible.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke sat at his kitchen table, munching on a plain bagel with cream cheese and sipping on his cup of black coffee. He was deciding on his mode of transportation for the day. He could have the limo drop him off, drive to work, or force Kakashi over to drive him instead. He crossed out the latter because he was still angry with Kakashi from yesterday. That man never knew when to shut up and the limo seemed to take too long. The driver always seemed to do the speed limit. Uchiha Sasuke hated speed limits so that left him with driving instead. He liked driving in his various cars; he could leave 'piece of junk' cars in the wind. This caused another laugh to erupt from him. Yep, he was one sadistic person.

Grabbing his briefcase, Sasuke walked out back to pick his car. He basically had a parking lot with the finest cars. He chose his Bugatti Veyron because he felt like advancing his speed for the day. The car went up to 253 miles per hour after all and surprisingly, the price hardly did a dent to his bank account. Uchiha Sasuke was living the life and it was confirmed when he pulled out the set of keys, popping the doors. The dark haired man tossed his briefcase in the seat and started the car, allowing the doors to close automatically. Putting on his shades, he cracked his tinted windows and pulled out of his driveway onto the open road. He was going to make it to work in no time and indeed he was correct. His car pulled up the large ten story building approximately ten minutes later. It would have been eight minutes but he had to let an old woman cross the street. The things he does for the community could bring to tears to your eyes. He gave up two whole minutes for the elderly, most people only got thirty seconds and that was it. But today, he was truly an angel at heart or until he saw Kakashi. Kakashi was in his car with his door wide open, blocking the Uchiha's parking spot. Sasuke was a very possessive person when it came to parking spots so he hopped out his car and walked over to the grey haired man.

"Kakashi, move this rust bucket so I can park my car," Kakashi looked out his car lazily at Sasuke's car of the day and turned back to the man before him.

"My car is not a rust bucket, you ride in it do you not?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Trust me, I'm not that thrilled. Now move or close your door," Kakashi seemed to consider this for a moment before coming up with an answer.

"No," the response was a like a smack to the Uchiha's face. Kakashi never said 'no' to him, it was like an unsaid rule and that man just broke it.

"What? I don't think I heard you clearly," the older man flipped through his Icha Icha Paradise book.

"I said, 'no.' How was that?" Sasuke clenched his fist in anger and gave Kakashi a look that could kill.

"You! You don't say 'no' to me! This is my parking lot and I park anywhere I want! So you, better move this now before I push this piece of crap out the way!" Kakashi yawned and leaned back in his seat.

"Go right ahead…I'm waiting," Sasuke let out a growl and stomped over to his car, starting the engine.

"This is your last warning…I suggest you close your door," the older man didn't even seem to blink an eyelash. "Fine, see if I care!" Sasuke pulled around so he could reattempt to park his car. When he returned, he found Kakashi _sitting_in his parking space, reading as if nothing was happening. "Kakashi, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Reading," the older man held up his book. "You should try it."

"How about you go read in the unemployment line because that's where you'll be!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow and flipped to the next page.

"Oh really…"

"Yes, really," a giggle escaped the grey haired man's mouth and this made Sasuke even angrier. "What's so funny?"

"This book, Onizuka is so funny," a venomous glare was shot his way.

"Well, explain it to the pound because that's where your car is heading," Kakashi looked up this time with evident curiosity.

"I thought you were going to run me over," Sasuke didn't answer and instead called the towing department.

"_Konoha Towing? My name is Uchiha Sasuke and I have a pick up for a black-"_Sasuke was cut off as a hand reached through the window and grabbed his phone. "Give it back Kakashi," the older man flipped it shut and placed it in his pocket.

"Sasuke…you need to learn that everyone is not going to follow your every command especially when they are not given respect in the end. Sometimes, I would like a 'thank-you' here and there."

"So you want me to say thank-you? Okay, thank-you Kakashi for ruining my morning and hogging my parking spot," the other man shook his head and looked up at the sky.

"You know what you have to say but you refuse to, so I refuse to listen to those commands. Till you say what I want to hear…I will read my book," Kakashi walked back over the parking spot and sat down. An angry growl was heard from the young man before he turned off his car. They sat in silence for about fifteen minutes till a certain CEO's phone rang.

"Kakashi…give me the phone," the grey haired man pulled out his phone and glanced at the caller I.D before placing it in his pocket. "Kakashi…give it here. I'm serious."

"What a coincidence? Me too," the phone stopped ringing, leaving a close to whining Uchiha.

"Kakashi…who was it?" Kakashi tilted his head in thought.

"Someone important I suppose."

"Important?! Then give me the phone," no response. "Kakashi…come on…this is our job."

"I thought I was currently unemployed."

"You know, I didn't mean that. I was just angry," no response. "Look, I'm sorry alright. I didn't mean what I said so could you please give my phone and not sit there? People might see us," this caused Kakashi to perk up and walk over to Sasuke's car.

"Here," Kakashi handed him his phone. Sasuke looked down in confusion. What did he do to get the older man to comply? "It took you about thirty minutes but you said it."

"What did I say?" Sasuke couldn't help to ask. Kakashi gave an 'appeared-to-be' smile and shrugged before pulling out his keys. He pushed the lock button and his car door automatically closed.

"I told you my car wasn't a rust bucket, what kind of Mercedes can do that?" The older man turned and started to head to the building. "Oh, don't forget to check that important call," Sasuke quickly looked down and flipped his phone open. It wasn't a call but a text message from Kakashi.

_Sometimes to get what you want, you have to say 'please'._

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"Naruto, look at what I brought," Tsunade returned with a tray filled with a steaming bowl of ramen and a glass of water, which was happily accompanied by two pills. The said pills being a daily dosage of Clozapine but could be easily mistaken as aspirin. "A bowl of ramen, a glass of water, and some aspirin to ease that headache," Naruto perked up as the words 'ramen' and 'aspirin' floated through his ears. Those were his two favorite words at the moment and he didn't hesitate to gulp down the pills with a glass of water and indulge in his Miso flavored ramen. The tray contents seemed to evaporate within minutes and it was official Uzumaki Naruto was back. No one could eat that fast and still be hospitalized.

"You really had a big appetite," his aunt commented. Naruto nodded enthusiastically and signaled thanks for the food and pills. "Anytime. I want you to feel better…," even if she had to trick him into taking those pills. Sarutobi wouldn't let the man leave here without taking his daily dosage and he clearly stated that fact when she went to talk to him. The conversation still rang through her mind.

**(Flashback)**

"_Sarutobi, great news! Naruto is wide-awake."_

"_I figured so; his condition has improved dramatically with the medication I placed him on."_

"_You mean that Clozapine? I think he got better on his own," Sarutobi gave the woman a long look before going through his files. "What? Do you think not?"_

"_It's hard to say honestly. I don't have the data to prepare a comparison but you saw first hand of his condition before I placed him on the medication."_

"_Yes, and he was strong then but moving on from the topic his recent recovery, he has asked if you could check him for an early release. I also feel he should be able to go home and perhaps remain on bed rest."_

"_Release you say? It's a bit early is it not? I think the best decision would be for him to stay the rest of the week," Tsunade crossed her arms._

"_Rest of week? You can't be serious. I know for one that he won't be happy about that."_

"_The difference between me and you Tsunade is that I'm not concerned with a patient's happiness, just their health. That is my job and that's what I intend to do," Tsunade let out a small laugh._

"_No, the difference is I get to know my patients and you don't. You don't know him like I do, so maybe you should lay off on doing your job and be a person. A person who sees their patient as someone who wants to do something with their life and are fully capable. I only ask you give him a chance and prove me wrong. If he comes back here, with a similar case I will give you full recognition. Till then, I refuse," a moment of silence passed between the two._

"_Alright, since you made such a clear point, I'll check him and if he seems fit, I will allow him to be released as soon as possible. But if I do this Tsunade, you will have to follow one my direct orders till I tell you otherwise," the blond woman raised an eyebrow._

"_What is that?"_

"_Keep him on his regular dosage of Clozapine."_

"_What? He doesn't-"_

"_Tsunade…"_

"_Alright, but I can't guarantee you he will take it. I'm sure he knows of that stuff and I'm not going to force it down his throat," a low chuckle erupted from the man in front of her._

"_Who said anything about force? I know you would find an appropriate way…yes?" Tsunade bit her lower lip and turned away before exiting the man's office. How the hell was she supposed to trick the man into taking Clozapine?_

**(End of Flashback)**

"Naruto, I talked to Dr. Sarutobi for you and he said he will check you for an early release. If you're lucky he might let you tomorrow," blue eyes widened at the news. An early release would be perfect and then he could start his new job. These exciting thoughts seemed to lift him off to cloud nine. "So are you feeling better than before? Is your headache gone?" Naruto nodded to both questions and grabbed his pad and pen.

'_I feel great and after this check-up, could you call Uchiha Corps about the job?'_ Tsunade smiled.

"Of course, Naruto." _Of course…_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke was currently sitting in the large meeting hall as the company's advertising manager went over new ideas for the new promotions. The company's manager, Suichi had this outrageous idea of using bright colors for the billboard ads.

"The advertising board was definitely feeling the orange background; it brings out your prominent features and let me tell you one thing. It was gorgeous!" Suichi emphasized the last word with a snap. The CEO stared widely at the man before him. When did he hire the 'walking rainbow'?

"I know what you are thinking, but trust me it will look fabulous all over Tokyo," Suichi pulled out his color wheel and showed Sasuke the electric orange he was talking about. "I see you are speechless. Am I fabulous or what?" The young Uchiha turned his head to Kakashi, asking a silent question. The older man just shrugged with evident amusement.

"Do you have anything brighter by chance?" Kakashi asked, holding back laughter. Suichi wagged his finger in the older man's face before doing an 'S' snap.

"Don't get me started boyfriend!" Kakashi's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "I have every shade out there. Let's explore shall we?" The advertising manager pulled out twenty various colors wheels and placed up a poster of a potential billboard.

"Here's some of my special color wheels. I have more in my car if needed and here is my baby," Suichi pointed to his design. "I've been working on this billboard for weeks. Don't you just love that blue blurred train? It gives off this feisty vibe and look at this feisty blue outline, it just screams outrageous!" Sweat drops formed on Kakashi's and Sasuke's forehead before the Uchiha hesitantly asked a question.

"Do you by chance having anything simple with minimum colors?" Suichi looked like he never heard of such a thing.

"Minimum? I don't understand. Don't you like this?" he asked pointing, to the billboard. "We can always change the background to orange. That was my first choice too…so I understand."

"No! I mean…the blue is fine just eliminate that blue outline," the advertising manager seemed to frown at this.

"My feisty blue outline?" Sasuke turned to Kakashi for help.

"No outline…it's great without it," Kakashi said, shedding some light.

"If you say so…" Suichi said solemnly and placed his color wheels back in his back. "Uh…Uchiha-san?"

"Yes?" Sasuke asked cautiously.

"How about a dark blue zigzag border? It will look fierce!" Moments of silence passed and let's just say the rest of the meeting went smoothly after some words were exchanged.

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Naruto sat up on the bed, playing a game of cards with his aunt when the door to his room opened. It was Dr. Sarutobi coming for his check-up and the blond was excited. He wanted to pull the IV out his arm but he wasn't sure if that was a good idea.

"Naruto…how are you today?" Naruto grinned. "That's good, so no headaches or thoughts?" Naruto shook his head. "Alright, let's take your blood pressure and measure your heart rate," Tsunade watched as Sarutobi placed an arm cuff on his arm and measured his blood pressure.

"115/78, a very good sign young man," Sarutobi said, removing the cuff. "How about we measure that heart?" Using his stethoscope, he measured the blond's heart rate. "76 beats per minute, I'm impressed. Now try standing up for me," Naruto nodded and stood by the side of the bed. "How does your body feel? Any pain?" Naruto shook his head. "Alright, flex your legs for me," Naruto bent both his knees and pointed his legs out. "Good, now touch your feet for me," The blond bent down and touched his feet, flexing his spine. "Good. Now stand up straight for me and hold your arms out for me. How does it feel? Any pain?" Naruto shook his head 'no'.

"Alright…open your eyes wide," the older man pulled out a small lighter and looked into his pupils. "How is your sight? Can you see clearly?" Naruto nodded. Why couldn't anyone see that he was perfectly fine? "Alright, walk around for me. Does anything seem off to you? Foreign?" the blond walked around the room as if he was trying on new shoes and took a seat on the bed.

"Great. You seem good as new to me. I think you are ready to be released, the earliest being Wednesday. How does that sound?" Naruto looked at his aunt for some kind of help but she could only offer a sympathetic smile. He turned back to the man in front of him and gave a strained smile. Two whole days of his life was going to be wasted in a hospital. What else is new?

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Weekly board meetings about sales were hardly ever about sales. How they got on the topic of the latest movies? Sasuke would never know. How his love life was the center of discussion too? He didn't know that either but he did know he really didn't want to listen to their thoughts right now.

"Sasuke has never gone on a date! We have to set him up!" Kurenai said enthusiastically and Gai pumped his fists.

"He's at the prime of his youthful age! He must explore, indulge in the youthful nature! Let's gather to discuss the floral of his lotus blossom," Hayate coughed.

"What's a lotus blossom?" Anko stood and slammed her hands on the table.

"You maggots want to know? It's when you indulge in your most craved sexual fantasy." Asuma chuckled and tapped his cigarette against the ash tray.

"No, you crazed woman. It's the losing of your virginity!" Kakashi sighed.

"You both are wrong. It's the growing a strong bond called love. It requires the floral of your heart," everybody seemed to freeze at Kakashi's wise words and all agreed except one person. Sasuke was currently smothering himself into the table.

"Sasuke…what are you doing?" Hayate asked curiously.

"Trying to cope before I fire you idiots!" All the members let out a laugh like that wasn't possible. Sasuke would never fire them because…because …_wait_…he would fire them. The laughter died down so abruptly that the only sound heard was the squeaking of the chairs.

"Now where were we?" Sasuke asked as he lifted his head. Everyone tossed their papers on the table and the Uchiha couldn't help to smirk. He had power in the palm of his hand.

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The rest of the day went by unpleasantly slow as Sasuke sat in his office. He had already called the other branches about their status while Kakashi handled the second half of the New Worker Orientation. The blond mute would be here too if he wasn't in the hospital and that led to other thoughts on how the young man got there. It would be a lie if Sasuke said he wasn't curious. He was very curious to know more about this man therefore he hired him. It was like killing two birds with one stone; he could solve a mystery and have a hard worker who would bring him in tons of money. _Oh, life was good._

Sasuke immediately left his seat and headed to the financial department for a little unexpected visit. He wanted to surprise his dear workers so they would jump like frogs and panic like it was the end of the world (_insert evil laughter_). Yep, Sasuke was one sadistic bastard.

"Kakashi," all heads turned from their relaxed positions and by the blink of an eye they were seated like uniformed soldiers under strict command. "What's going on down here?" Kakashi yawned and flipped through his precious book.

"Training of course, our new employees are getting familiar with the computers."

"Oh really…and what are you suppose to be doing?" Kakashi gave an 'appeared-to-be' smile.

"Supervising my dear Sasuke. It requires a chair, my butt, and a book. I know…I work so hard these days," Sasuke grunted and took a seat next to the older man. "So what brings you down here?" The younger man shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

"A check-up, that's all."

"Oh really? I think it's more to it. Is something on your mind?" Sasuke looked at the ceiling for a few moments before answering.

"Do you think he will call about the job?" Kakashi chuckled.

"I think he will. He's a very bright person and he knows a good opportunity when he sees one," Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You know…I hate that you know things that I don't.," the older man let out a low chuckle.

"Don't we all?"

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The young heir could possibly say he was happy to see the calendar that morning and that was saying something. Sasuke usually hated the sight of calendars but today was Wednesday. The day he was free from board meetings and pointless tasks. The day he could take his time to get to work and he did just that. The dark haired man hopped back into bed and pulled the sheets over his head. It didn't take look for pale lids to close and a mind to go off into deep slumber.

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Uzumaki Naruto was energetic. He was usually calm, relax, and patient but today he was so happy to get out that hospital. Tsunade too was happy for her nephew and helped pack his items from the last couple of days.

"When we get home Naruto, I'm going to fix you a real meal. This food here keeps patients here longer and trust me, I know," Naruto grinned and grabbed his jacket from the bed. "Do you have everything?" The blond nodded happily and held the door for his aunt. "What a gentleman," she gushed as Naruto rolled his eyes. They were one step out the door before the nurses on his floor came to bid Naruto goodbye.

"Bye Naruto," a dark haired woman said.

"Take care cutie," another said as she planted as kiss on his cheek.

"Come visit us soon, Naruto," one woman said as she hugged him.

"Bye," they all chanted and Naruto couldn't stop the blush on his face. They were all so kind and they were woman. Naruto wasn't use to encounters like this especially from ones who were somewhat attractive. Tsunade laughed and shooed the woman off before they devoured the man whole.

"Those women just want to eat you up," Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly and followed his aunt onto the elevator. It wasn't long before they arrived to the first floor at the receptionist desk.

"Check-out for Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunade said politely to the woman.

"Of course Dr. Tsunade, please sign the release forms and have him sign at the bottom," the blond woman quickly wrote her signature and gave the pen to her nephew for him to do the same. "Thank You. Have a great day you two."

"You as well Ayame. See you tomorrow," the two blond's gave a slight wave and left towards the car. "It's such a nice day today," Naruto nodded in agreement and placed his items in the trunk. The car ride was silent, minus Tsuande's few comments and for once, Naruto enjoyed it. He could hear and feel the wind blowing in hair and he could hear what was going on in everyday life. The sound was like a new craving starting to form. It was amazing compared to their quiet complex.

"Home sweet home," his aunt said happily as she opened the door. Naruto stepped in and grinned as he dragged his bag to his room. The bed was just like he left it and he automatically fell face first upon the soft cushions. He loved this bed, it was so soft and comfy that he could live on this bed and never move. But then, that would make you question his sanity and he was perfectly sane.

Turning over to stare up at the ceiling, something hit him like a cream pie on a Sunday afternoon. He had to call Uchiha Corps about the job before they thought he wasn't interested. The blond flew up so fast; you would have thought he was bird as he rummaged through his bag for his phone and business card. After about five minutes, he found the CEO's personal card and his precious phone causing him to give it a gentle kiss on the flap. He could only send text messages so he assumed the other man could receive them. Typing in the keys, he quickly punched in the message and sent send.

"Naruto, you want to help fix lunch?" his aunt called. The young man shoved his phone in his pocket and walked out towards the kitchen, hoping his text message was received.

Somewhere on the other side of town, a phone rang alerting the person of a new message. The simple tune played once before a pale arm shot out from under the comforters and grabbed the phone. The screen showed a picture of a small envelope before a thin finger pressed open.

_Uchiha-san,_

_I accept the job position at Uchiha trans. Corp. I will be at the office 8 a.m sharp._

_Uzumaki N._

A pair of pink lips curved into a smile as they flipped their phone shut. _Step one:_ Hire the blond. _Status:_ Complete.

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**Someone asked Yuri (Sasuke's voice) what he thinks of yaoi in the form of sasunaru and how we writers think of his voice when we write our stories. He said he was flattered and he's all for the sasunaru pairing and enjoys emails and fanart about it. I was very impressed with his answer because in reality, I think of his voice the whole time I write this story. Don't you? It's just so hot…so I just wanted share that and I may post his video on Youtube.**

**Anyways, reviews for the birthday girl? Today is my birthday, I'm officially 17!**


	11. Start Me

**A/N: (rubs head sheepishly) Wow… thanks for all the reviews! You guys are amazing :-) I personally want to say I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I'm in the process of applying for colleges but I will try to make faster updates.**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

**

* * *

****Chapter 11: Start Me **

Blue eyes stared up at the ceiling in deep thought. It was 3:14 in the morning and the said man was not pleased. The clock should read 6:00 a.m. so he could get ready for work. _Work._ That word meant everything to him. It meant he was actually doing something with himself and the fact that someone hired him made it all the more meaningful. That man being Uchiha Sasuke made it confusing as well. Why would someone hire him, no questions asked? Especially one of such high status? Naruto couldn't figure it out. He at least thought the man would throw questions at him but nothing happened. Maybe this man was different from the others, more or less of a bastard, but different. The blond liked that. A new change with someone was something that he wanted. One who wouldn't judge or criticize him and that meant a lot. A small smile formed on his lips as he glanced at the clock. He had less than three hours to kill and he knew exactly what to do. Blue eyes became blocked by the world by two simple lids and his mind went to a close. Sleeping seemed like the right thing to do and he did just that.

A light flickered on over in the next room and a blond woman rose from her bed. The said woman had some papers she had to complete before she got ready for work and she knew if she put it off any longer it would never get done. Sliding on her robe, Tsunade took a seat at her desk and flipped through her folders. She had to fill out some forms about her clients but strangely, her mind wasn't focused. It kept drifting back to the conversation she had with her nephew. The young man seemed so alive that this was a major change from before. She had never seen him so excited about something before and she liked the change. Naruto was meant to be a happy person and she would do anything to keep it that way.

**(Flashback)**

"_Naruto, I'm so glad you're back home. It was lonely here without you," Naruto gave a small smile and placed the bread in the toaster. "Your ramen cups even seemed to frown," Tsunade added with a frown._

_Naruto's ears seemed to perk up at the word 'ramen' before blue eyes landed on the panty door. The pantry contained his number one love 'ramen' and he was not to be separated from those dry noodles again. The blond man quickly walked into the small closet and grabbed the overstuffed foam cups in his arms. He hugged them tightly, giving each a kiss before placing them back on the shelf. Tsunade could only watch in amusement. That was the oddest scene she had ever seen in her entire life_ _but it was interesting for the most part._

"_Now that you are reacquainted with your food addiction, are you going to call that young Uchiha about the job?" Naruto nodded and took out his phone, signaling he had already texted the man. "Oh, that's good! I'm sure you are excited for tomorrow." Naruto grinned and grabbed the toast, placing them on the plates. He was truly excited for the following day. This was like a dream come true; He would actually be able to work with other people, get paid a lot of money, and even get a motor vehicle. Well, the car wasn't guaranteed but it could happen in his opinion and that turned on a little light bulb in his head. He forgot to tell his aunt about his presumed new ride; One of the most important things and he forgot. Rushing off to his room, Naruto grabbed his pad and pen and wrote about the car he believed he would earn. Tsunade looked on with curiosity as Naruto decided to put in as much detail as possible before handing it over. One thing which grasped her attention was the big drawing of a convertible. Who had a convertible? She surely didn't and she wasn't going to buy one. Those cars were expensive and she didn't have a money tree to pick from. Another thing that was interesting was the wheels on the car. They seemed to be 'an attempt' drawing of chrome spinners. Who was getting spinners? She hated to break it to Naruto but she was definitely not helping him get this._

"_Naruto, honey, this is a nice drawing and I know how much you want one of those fancy cars but I can't-" Naruto cut her off and pointed to the top of the paper. Getting the message, Tsunade drifted her brown eyes to the top of the page and read the small paragraph. Her eyes widened as the words sunk in. Naruto was going to get a fancy car like those rich people and not have to pay a cent. Maybe she could even persuade him to let her drive it sometimes._

"_Are you serious?" Her nephew shook his head. "How do you know?" Naruto used sign language to tell her about Shikamaru and his car and how he was probably Shikamaru's boss therefore he should get a car too. Of course, Naruto explained this as simple as possible considering his aunt could only interpret small phrases in sign language. She never truly got a full grasp on all the hand signs._

"_Oh…I see. That's wonderful Naruto! This job seems pretty amazing and you deserve it honey," and that's when Tsunade saw it. It was a smile that she had never seen before; it was one that actually reached his eyes._

**(End of Flashback)**

Tsunade smiled at the memory and picked up her pen to continue writing. Uchiha Sasuke did something she could not do after all these years. He elicited a true smile out of Naruto and for that, she envied him.

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An alarm clock went off at 6:00 a.m. sharp. Though, the second beep didn't even happen because Naruto was already out of the bed, pushing the 'off' button. He was pumped to say the least and he had a lot of energy. The blond wanted everything to go right today and he wanted to feel like a working man. He wanted to be one of those working men who would get up early in the morning to fix a cup of coffee and read the newspaper before retreating to the bathroom to get ready. Then he would come out and his wife would be up making the bed and preparing him a hearty breakfast to send him off to work. He didn't have a wife or a girlfriend for that matter so he supposed he could he make his own bed and it was most likely his aunt would fix him breakfast anyways. She babied him so much that he just learned to expect it.

Naruto quickly made his bed, pulling up the sheets and tossing the pillows on top. He wasn't for all that folding and creasing; it took too much time. Having completed that task, the blond man stretched his muscles and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. To his surprise, the process was easier than he expected. All he had to do was scoop the instant coffee into a filter, fill the machine with a cup of water, and like magic the process continued on its own.

Blue eyes watched as the coffee pot filled with a new brown substance and a heavenly smell entered the room. In reality, Naruto was never really a coffee drinker. He always thought of coffee to have this bland taste so therefore he hardly indulged in this 'eye-opener' but since it seemed like the natural thing to do, why not take part in the daily task?

Grabbing a black mug from the cabinet, Naruto poured himself a cup of coffee. The liquid looked tempting as he stared into the cup and he slowly placed it to his lips for a sip. It tasted horrible in his opinion; it was missing something…something sweet. Then it hit him, he needed sugar. Naruto grabbed the sugar box from the cabinet and scooped up three big tablespoons to be added. His coffee seemed to look thick for some reason but nonetheless, he took another sip and strangely, it was good but not perfect. It was missing something milky.

'_What was that stuff Baa-chan used last time? Oh right…it was cream.' _Naruto quickly searched through the refrigerator only to find a half-filled carton of cream. He was unsure how much to pour into his cup so he decided to keep pouring the cream until his coffee turned a light brown color. He assumed he poured too much considering his coffee was almost white but he wasn't worried; he was a hundred percent sure it tasted good. Taking his third sip, Naruto finally accomplished a perfect cup of coffee and he was impressed. To be 21 years old and to make a perfect cup of coffee for the first time was truly an accomplishment; his aunt was going to be knocked off her feet.

Naruto smiled inwardly at himself for the thought and went outside to retrieve the morning paper. It seemed the hottest topic was Tokyo's top companies and Uchiha Transportation Corporation topped number one. Naruto couldn't help to feel smug over the news; he was working for the most successful company in the Japan and not many people were able to have such an opportunity. Was life looking for the better or what? Naruto wasn't sure but he had a faint idea as he continued to sip his coffee.

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Tsunade closed the last of her folders and placed them in her bag. It was 6:30 a.m. and that meant her nephew was most likely getting ready for his day which in turn, meant it was now her start of the day. Grabbing her pink robe and slippers, the blond woman shuffled down the hall towards the kitchen where the heavenly smell of coffee greeted her and a bushel of blond hair. It seemed her nephew was on his way back to his room and in a hurry if she may add.

"Naruto…what's wrong?" Her nephew pointed towards the clock and motioned to his night attire. "Oh…well, I guess you could get ready now while I fix breakfast." Tsunade glanced around the kitchen. "I see you already fixed the coffee… and grabbed the paper…" Naruto nodded and used sign language as to say, _'try it'_.

"You want me to try it?" Naruto nodded again. "Umm…I was thinking…I would skip the cup of coffee this morning…" Naruto shook his head and guided her over to the counter. He carefully poured a full mug and held it up to woman's mouth, encouraging her to take a sip. Tsunade hesitantly glanced down into the mug; it was indeed a brown liquid and something of the human nature.

"Alright, I'll try it." Tsunade took a small sip and to her surprise, it wasn't bad, pretty good actually. "I got to hand it to you…this is some good coffee." Naruto rolled his eyes and brushed his fingers across his lips as if to say, 'told you so.'

"Hey! I have my reasons…I've never seen you make anything other ramen and frozen foods!" The young man shrugged and Tsunade stuck her tongue out. "So what do you want for breakfast Mr. Businessman?" Naruto bit his lip in thought and pulled out the carton of eggs, bacon, and pancake mix from the refrigerator.

"Big appetite…eh? Alright, I'll fix it. Go ahead and get ready." The blond man smiled and rushed off to the shower. He wasn't going to take long, just a quick shampoo of the hair and three quick body washes before he brushed his teeth. In fact, it only took him eighteen minutes before he was out and sliding on his new dark blue suit. His aunt brought him a couple of suits as a 'welcome back' gift in which he was very appreciative. He didn't want wear his father's suit from last time. How awkward would that be?

Glancing into the mirror, Naruto tamed his wild locks of hair and made sure he was presentable before heading to the kitchen. The smell of fresh eggs, bacon, and pancakes floated throughout the halls as if a calling and he mindlessly floated to its source. He was presented with a mouth watering sight and the fact that he had to eat in less than twenty minutes encouraged him even more.

"Eat up…I know you don't have much time. Also, here's your bento lunch for work." Naruto grinned and signaled 'thank you' with his hands before eating like the world depended on it; it even appeared so since blue eyes kept darting to the clock. Remarkably, the blond was able to finish five minutes before 7:30 and pay for his meal with a satisfied burp.

"You never cease to amaze me, you know that?" Naruto grinned and washed his hands in the sink. "I figure you are about to leave now, so come give me a hug Blondie." The young man rolled his eyes but nonetheless gave the woman a hug.

"Alright, you have everything? Keys, lunch, phone?" Naruto nodded and hand-signed 'don't worry'. Tsunade wanted to make a come back and say, 'I have to worry' but she stopped herself and resulted to a simple 'Have a good day.' Naruto gave her a reassuring look before departing out the door. He had a job to get to and everything was going to go perfect. There was nothing to worry about…right?

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As planned, Naruto arrived at the monorail station twenty minutes before eight. What he wasn't planned for was the fifteen minute delay due to technical problems. If he had to wait for fifteen minutes, he was definitely going to be late and he couldn't be late. That was like a sin when starting a new job. Turning around, blue eyes scanned the busy streets for a taxi. There were a couple along the streets but traffic looked to be moving slow. He could take one up to the office but time would not be in his favor and neither would his pocket. The fare was sure to be high and he didn't have overstuffed wallet to pull out. _'Why does this happen to me?' _Naruto thought to himself as he walked up to a taxi and pulled out his pad and pen.

'_Can you take me to Uchiha Corps, the main branch_?' He showed the note to the driver who nodded in return. The man didn't say anything though which brought Naruto to believe the man thought he was deaf. How close-minded people were never seemed to surprise the blond; just because he didn't talk didn't mean he couldn't hear.

Quickly, Naruto placed his items in the back seat and situated himself for the ride. The ride seemed to flow smoothly for the first eight minutes as cars continued to move but then he was halted by an overflow of traffic. '_A traffic Jam! You have to be kidding!_' It was then his heart rate became sporadic and almost unstable to remain conscious. He was going to be late and get fired especially after paying this high fare! _'How much is this fare anyway?'_ Blue eyes peered at the silver box and it had seemed the fare had doubled in zeros. Naruto swore he was going to have a heart attack; that was all he had in his pocket and increasing that amount would just put him in the hospital.

Naruto tried to grab the man's attention so he could drop him off but the man seemed to be on the phone and talking about him in fact.

"_Yeah man, I have this deaf guy with me. Hahaha…yea he's cute. No…a blonde…yeah, I know…maybe a virgin. Hahaha…I like them unused." _

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. This man was talking sexually about him right in front of his face and even had the nerve to claim that he was a virgin. Yeah, he was a virgin but it wasn't obvious. It's not like he had a sign on his face that said 'Never been touched'. Just the thought of being labeled as one made him blush in embarrassment.

Opening the door without hesitation, Naruto grabbed his briefcase and emptied his once-full wallet. The driver looked surprised but took the offered fare. He didn't understand why the deaf man wanted to leave when they haven't even arrived to the destination. Sensing what the other man was thinking, Naruto shook his wallet and took out his pad and pen.

'_The fare is too high and if you didn't know, I can hear. '_ The driver's brown eyes widened as he read the note and let out an embarrassed cough. He was shocked all the way down to his toes and the feeling wasn't nice.

"You can hear me?" The man asked. Naruto smiled and wrote a farewell on his pad.

'_Yes, the __**virgin**__ can hear you. Have a good day sir.' _If possible, the older man's eyes tripled in size as he stumbled over his apology.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean…well…" Naruto left the babbling driver behind and did a quick glance at his watch. He had six minutes to make it to work and if he sprinted for six minutes straight he could at least make it to the building.

Naruto sprinted without a second to waste.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke tapped his pen against the pile of papers on his desk and glanced at the clock. It was two minutes till eight and someone had yet to arrive. The young heir had a problem with people who were late. Time was money and he hated to lose money therefore time could not be wasted. It was his simple analogy in fact and everybody knew why.

"Don't disappoint me now Uzumaki." Sasuke said to himself as he glanced out the window. It was something about the blond that had him interested and he didn't know why. But he was sure to find out soon enough and that was just a matter of time.

Dark eyes drifted back to the clock which read 8:00 a.m. and pink lips let out a sigh. All he could think of was 'so much for a perfect day' and stood up to visit the lower lobby.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto reached the building at 8:03 a.m., sweating profusely with his hair matted on his forehead, his face bright red from exhaustion and shortness of breath which seemed to concern security. He couldn't breath! He swore he was going to pass out on the very expensive tile floors if he didn't sit down.

"Sir, are you okay?" Naruto looked at the dark haired security man before giving a slight nod. His head was swarming but he had to grab his pad and pen or else he was going to be ten minutes late.

'_Where is it?'_ The blond searched through his pockets only to find his pad missing. His only efficient way of communicating was missing. He probably dropped it when climbing over that wretched fence.

"Is there a problem sir? Do you need help?" Hands stopped their search as blue eyes remained glued to the floor. It was like the voice was echoing in his head and it was loud. So loud that he had to clutch his ears. It wouldn't stop, every passing second it became louder.

The guards looked at each other worriedly before cautiously approaching the young man. They weren't even a foot away before the elevator doors opened and out stepped the company's owner.

"What's going on here?" Sasuke asked, walking towards the guards.

"Sir, this young man seems to be ill. He's not responding to anything we say." Sasuke continued to approach closer.

"What's his name?" He asked. The guards looked dumbfounded for a second before responding.

"We don't know…" At that moment, Naruto lifted his head making direct eye contact with the young heir. Blue eyes locked on onyx and for a split second, time seemed to stop.

"Uzumaki…" was the name that was whispered past the Uchiha's lips before blue eyes lost focus and his body slumped. "Hurry, catch him! He's about to pass out." The guards caught him before he fell to the floor and lifted him up.

"What should we do sir?" The dark haired guard asked.

"One of you will take him to my office. The other will stay here and write what happened." Sasuke turned around and headed back to the elevator. The guards made a silent agreement and the brunette guard carried the blond bridal style to the elevator. The Uchiha remained emotionless as usual until reaching the room.

"Place him on the couch." Sasuke ordered and the man followed suit, laying the young blond flat against the pillows. "You may leave." The guard bowed respectively before exiting the room.

"My, my…what am I going to do with you?" Sasuke murmured to himself. This day was going sour and he could sense it. Picking up his phone, he dialed his annoying assistant who went by the name of Kakashi. He called Kakashi because the man knew what to do in these situations plus he and blond seemed to share some kind of weird bond.

"_My dear friend Sasuke, how can I help you?" The grey haired man laughed on the phone._

"_Kakashi, come to my office. We have a problem."_

"_What kind of problem? I told you to try those breathing exercises whenever you felt angry."_

"_Kakashi, you idiot, it's about Uzumaki-san!"_

"_Oh…I'll be up in a minute."_

Sasuke hung up the phone and retrieved a cold bucket of water and cloths to help cool the blond. It seemed his new employee passed out due to heat since the man was sweating and pink in the face. Dipping the cloth into cold water, Sasuke wrung out the excess water and placed the cloth on his forehead. He was going to get Naruto to wake up and start his first day because he had a plan to complete and plus he wasn't ready to deal with the blond's aunt, Tsunade. A moment later, a knock resounded though the room along with a familiar voice.

"Sasuke…it's me." Kakashi called.

"Come in." The older man stepped in and handed the Uchiha a note before heading over to the unconscious male.

"That's a note from one of the guards. So what happened here? Tsunade-san won't be pleased…" Kakashi commented.

"Well, from the note…it says he came in around 8 a.m., he was sweating, had shortness of breath, and seemed confused like he just got done running…and when asked questions, Naruto-san started to panic and freeze up by clutching his ears. The guards started to approach him and that's when I arrived; he fainted two minutes after that."

"Hmm…" Kakashi kneeled down beside the blond and tested his heart rate. It was normal which was all he needed to know. "All he needs is some water and he will be good to go. As for what happened, I have a faint idea. Naruto-san was running late this morning due to the set back at the monorail station. I heard there were some technical difficulties and he made it halfway here someway or another which could have been a taxi. Then he had decided to run here due to traffic…which meant he basically sprinted ten minutes to get here at 8 a.m. The long run caused his exhaustion and the headache from the running caused noises to triple which in turn caused his body to shut down." Sasuke raised an eyebrow and glanced out the window.

"And how do you know this?" Kakashi chuckled in response.

"Let's just say, I know a certain cab driver." Sasuke gave him a long look before shaking his head.

"I don't want to know…I really don't." Kakashi appeared to be smiling and motioned for a bottle of water.

"You want me to wake him up? Just give me that bottle of water." Sasuke glanced at the bottle before raising an eyebrow in question.

"Trust me…I know what I'm doing." Sasuke hesitantly grabbed the bottle and handed it to the older man.

"Don't do anything stupid. I don't want his aunt to sue me for all I'm worth." The grey haired man just rolled his eyes and unscrewed the cap.

"Watch and learn young one. You may need to do this after sex." The Uchiha's cheeks turned a light pink before turning away. Kakashi was such an idiot.

"Alright, you take the bottle and you shove it-"

"Kakashi!!" Sasuke yelled, pink from embarrassment.

"I'm just kidding, loosen up. But yea…as I was saying just pour water on him. He will wake up because it produces the effect of someone drowning."

"Don't pour water on him! That is stupid! Plus that's my expensive couch!" Kakashi took that moment to pour the water on the blond's face and almost immediately, blue eyes shot open followed by a coughing fit.

"Oops, my bad. You should have said something sooner."

"Kakashi…" Sasuke growled lowly. The older man could only rub his head sheepishly.

"Look on the bright side…he's awake." Both heads turned to face the occupant on the couch. Blue eye glanced around before realization awoken in them. He was wet and thirsty in his boss's office. If this wasn't a sign that he was fired, then he didn't know anymore.

"Uzumaki-san, great to have you back with us. Now its time to rise and shine. Today is your first day of work!" Naruto sat up on the couch and looked down at his shirt. He didn't understand why his shirt was soaking wet.

"Oh sorry about that…my bottle of water slipped out my hand but Uchiha-san has offered you a clean shirt in return." Blue eyes glanced at his boss who seemed shocked from Kakashi's words.

"Yes. I have a shirt. Thank you Kakashi for your generous suggestion." Sasuke said with gritted teeth.

"Any time…well I must get going. Call me if you need me." The older man gave a slight wave and left the room. He was so evil sometimes but it was only out of the goodness of his heart. Those young ones needed to learn that and not be so clueless.

Sasuke watched the man leave and cursed the moment. This was a very awkward situation especially with a wet, blond mute looking at him expectantly. He cleared this throat to bring things back into focus.

"Wait here…I'll get you a shirt." Naruto nodded and watched the Uchiha walk into another room. He prayed the Uchiha wasn't mad because he didn't intend for this happen. He just had a bad morning which caused him to pass out but that's normal after sprinting for almost ten minutes. His strong dedication to get to work on time should count more than the incident right?

"Here you are. I figured this one would fit." Sasuke returned with a plain white buttoned shirt with the tags still attached. "Don't worry about the tags, just pull them off." Naruto did as he told and in the process glanced at the tag. The shirt was more than his cab fare and that was a lot of money! He couldn't bring himself to put the shirt on.

"What's wrong?" The older of the two asked. Naruto rubbed his fingers together and pointed to the price before shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it. Trust me…one shirt is not going to affect me." Naruto ran his fingers in the fabric before motioning a thank you and unbuttoning his shirt. He was halfway down till he realized the Uchiha was staring. Sasuke must have not known either since he was shocked too that he was looking.

"Excuse me." The dark haired man retreated to the bathroom to keep himself in check. Why the hell was he staring? And why was the man really tan? He didn't know and it freaked him out. Naruto watched with evident confusion at the quick departure and continued to take his undershirt off. He supposed the man really had to go to the bathroom and didn't think more of it. The Uchiha returned five minutes later and was surprisingly ready to condense with the day.

"Uzumaki-san… let's put this morning behind us and start fresh. Since you have not taken part in the New Worker Orientation, I figured I should familiarize you with the financial department before anything else. Any questions?" Naruto, using sign language asked for a pad and pen.

"Of course." The young heir grabbed a pad and pen from his desk and handed it over to his new employee. Naruto quickly wrote down his apologies from earlier.

'_I apologize for this morning. I promise it will not happen again and thank you for the shirt. I appreciate it.'_ Naruto handed the paper over for the other man to read.

"You're welcome and no need for apologies. I understand." Naruto looked at the man in surprise. Was Uchiha Sasuke really that kind?

"Are you ready?" Sasuke asked, snapping him from his thoughts. Naruto nodded and grabbed his briefcase by the sofa. "Follow me."

Naruto followed quietly behind the man as the Uchiha showed him the passing rooms. Naruto was surprised in the least. There were so many rooms which seemed to lead to other rooms. He made a mental note to avoid those as much as possible.

Reaching the elevator, Naruto fingered the plush walls. He liked the elevator; it was comfy and it smelled nice. It smelled like cherries with a hint of orange. Sasuke noticed this action and did the same.

"Do you like it? We just had all the elevators redone. I'm not for that all around steel." Naruto smiled and rubbed his head. He didn't think the Uchiha was watching him but nevertheless, nodded in response.

The doors opened to the designated floor and out stepped two males who had looks going for them. It was obvious by the constant winks of the passing woman. A woman even signaled for Naruto to call her which he grinned in answer; Sasuke chose to ignore such actions.

"Here we are. The financial department and your new home. I suggest you familiarize yourself with everyone on this floor because you will be controlling what goes on down here. Now, in this room is where you will meet your group. Hopefully, you can work with them." Sasuke stepped into the room and Naruto followed suit. He prayed no one would take advantage of his condition.

As they entered more fully in the room, Naruto was able to get a better look at his new group. They all seemed normal in his opinion except for the dark haired girl who was pink in the face. She looked like she was going to pass out at any second. On the table to the side, sat Kakashi and his favorite series. Naruto blushed as he realized it was a yaoi magazine.

"Ah… nice of you two to join us." The older man chuckled. "We were just doing something of the working nature." Sasuke glared at the other man but said nothing.

"Anywho, I suppose I should name these hard workers to you. Over here, we have Hinata, Tenten, and Sakura," he said pointing to the left side of the room. "And over there, we have Kiba, Shino, and Shikamaru." Shikamaru gave a slight wave which Naruto gladly returned.

"Ah it looks like you know someone…well, this should be easier ne?" Kakashi seemed to be smiling but it was hard to tell and as if to shock him, a loud clap echoed through the room. Naruto glanced at the man in bewilderment. Why the hell did he have to clap so loud?

"Now you, my faithful group, I shall introduce you to this young man right here."

"Whoop! A new co-worker! Blondie you can sit with me." Kiba yelled with strange excitement. Kakashi just laughed as confused expressions formed on everyone's face.

"Au contraire…my dear minions…" Sasuke couldn't help to roll his eyes. Kakashi was seriously too much to handle.

"Meet you're new…_boss_." Mouths flew open with evident shock. Shikamaru couldn't even keep the surprise off his face. His boss was so young and well…young. He looked fresh out of high school! Wait…hold up, the company's owner was freaking twenty-two. This shouldn't be a surprise!

"Oh and by the way, he's doesn't talk." That just about did it for the financial department; shock was to remain on their faces for the rest of week.

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**Aww…thank you all for all the hits and everything.  
I'm happy you all like the story :)  
Anyways, reviews are appreciated.**


	12. Question Me

**A/N: Finally, I am able to update after like ten years…I am truly sorry. Please don' t abandon me because I have a two week vacation before school starts up again therefore I can update more within that time!**

**Anyhow, this chapter is a little frizzy for me. I'm suffering from writer's block (gasp) I know…it's depressing so it might not be totally mind-blowing. But it's okay because I shall overcome! Also, I have a NaruSasu (for those who are into M-rated themes) one shot that I posted if you haven't seen it. I warn my innocent young readers though; I don't want to corrupt you as I am a prime example as to what can happen. **

**So please enjoy! **

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

  
_

**Chapter 12: Question Me**

Some say curiosity is the emotion which causes one to investigate, explore, and be a little daring. Some say curiosity is the desire to know and some say curiosity is something that just happens to cats but to Hatake Kakashi, curiosity is something else. Curiosity is a forbidden fruit in which you could choke on if you are not careful and he had a fair idea that his current employees would choke, it was only a matter of time. After all, whispering could only go so far in his opinion.

"Kakashi-san…" Green eyes peaked above the computer. "Come here…" the voice whispered. The older man couldn't stop the sigh that left his lips. He didn't feel like dealing with pinkie. She asked pointless questions when the answer was right in front of her.

"Yes, Sakura?" Kakashi drawled out lazily as he walked over to her cubicle. The pink-haired woman twisted in her chair and darted her eyes to front of the room at the newly occupied office. "Well…"

Sakura bit her lip. "Is Uzumaki-san really mute? I mean…he can't be. Uchiha-san would never hire somebody like that."

"Sakura…" He said, clearly emphasizing that he was annoyed. "This shouldn't be a surprise…after all he hired somebody like you." The older man topped the comment off with a smile before walking out into the hall. Sakura could only watch curiously until she realized she had been insulted_. 'What's his problem? It was just a question.'_

In reality, that _was_ the problem. These questions were starting to be repeated by every employee he had come across. Those from other departments were even questioning Kakashi about the new head of finance and it was aggravating. It really didn't help when they whispered about it when the said person was only a few feet away.

"Hello, Kakashi-san. A bright day, isn't it?" Lee said with a strange enthusiasm as he walked up the hall. Kakashi stared at him; he could never figure that young man out.

"I suppose…" Kakashi responded monotonously. "Wait…where are you heading? I need a package dropped off at the front desk; can you do it by chance?"

Lee gave a hesitant look before glancing down at his watch. "Sure Kakashi-san, it will have to be after the staff meeting though. I don't want to be late."

Dark eyes glance around curiously. "Staff meeting? Neither I nor Uchiha-san called a staff meeting today. Perhaps you are mistaken." Kakashi folded his arms.

"No sir…there is one. The meeting is for everyone not part of financial department including you, Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san…" Lee drifted off as he realized he had said too much. _Oops. _"I mean…I'm just kidding…there is no…umm…meeting…" Lee cursed himself for his bad lying skills. Everyone was going to be so mad at him now.

"Too late…" Kakashi's eyes turned into a 'U' as he slid his hands into his pant pockets. "Now show me Lee…I too want to hear what is being discussed." Lee let out a small groan but nonetheless led the older male to the meeting.

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Blue eyes glanced blankly at the computer screen before him. He hadn't used one in so long that his common computer skills were gone with the wind. He tried to create a few data sheets and somehow, he had ten files pop up asking _'Delete? Yes or No?_' Those ten files remained too, staring urgently back at him.

'_Seriously…this can't be happening. Why do these computers have to be fancy?'_

Naruto leaned back in his chair and ran his pen through his tangled locks. He wanted to push some kind of key…any key…just to see what would happen. It couldn't hurt. You can learn by being curious, well that's what the blond thought. So he pressed '**Enter**' on the keyboard and that was the worst decision he could have ever made. All the files retreated one by one, deleting into some unknown void. Files he didn't even want to delete started to delete and soon the hard drive was as blank as the day it was brought.

Naruto wanted to scream, yell for help, do anything but he couldn't. He was in too much shock, so he just sat there, eyes wide as his staff members cried out in frustration. He figured it affected their computers as well and that meant…_oh shit, I'm so fired._

The door to the department swung open with a loud slam to the wall, revealing a very pissed Uchiha_. 'Now that's going to leave a dent'_ Naruto thought. Dark eyes with a slight tint of red glanced around as his hands clenched in and out. He was ready to hurt someone; a minute ago, he was in his office getting ready to finish a proposal for a business partner and suddenly all his files started to disappear like magic. His computer was privately connected to the financial department in order to monitor the company's expenses but he never thought it could have affected him like this.

"Who did it?!" The Uchiha yelled. "I don't know about you low-lives but I have a business to run and somehow part of my business just got deleted! Now who did it?!" All eyes stared at him in fear; they had never seen Sasuke so angry before. Kiba slowly raised his hand.

"You did it!" Sasuke growled out menacingly as he approached to the other man.

Kiba hid behind a file folder. "No Uchiha-san…It wasn't me. I just wanted to say that it could have been anyone and that…" Sasuke narrowed his almost red eyes at him. "Please don't fire me…my sister is sick…please…" Kiba was close to tears as he begged for his employment. Sasuke turned his head to the side, sickened by this degrading act yet at the same time, finding it pleasurable.

"It seems to me that no one wishes to tell me what happened. So how about I fire all of you? How does that sound?" Everyone's mouth opened in shock. "I know…I'm so kind to let you all go harm free." Sakura covered her mouth; there was not even one speck of kindness in those eyes.

"She did it!" Sakura stood up, pointing one long red painted finger-nail at Ten-ten. "I saw it with my own eyes….she…she was pushing all these buttons and suddenly the computers went down." Ten-ten's brown eyes widened in surprise; she could not believe this Barbie had blamed this on her. Pinkie was seriously going to get her ass-whipped.

"Oh no you didn't Pinkie! I believe it was you who was pushing all those buttons. You look like you don't even know how to work a computer. Go back to your dollhouse!" Sakura let out a shriek as if she had been slapped.

"Take that back!" She yelled.

Ten-ten smirked. "No, come over here Barbie and make me." Sakura looked over to Sasuke for some help.

"Can't you see she is lying?" Sakura all but cried.

Shikamaru stood up. "Shut up! Both of you! You two are just embarrassing yourselves." Sakura gasped as if he she was just slapped again.

"Shut-up Shikamaru! For all I know…your lazy ass could have done it. I wouldn't put it past you." Ten-ten yelled out.

"But didn't you just say Sakura did it? Now this makes you look like a hypocrite." Shikamaru pointed out. Ten-ten glared heatedly at him.

"Can't we all just get along?" Hinata added in quietly.

Sakura flipped her hair back. "Shut-up Hinata…not everything is cupcakes and flowers." Sakura said sneeringly.

Kiba stood up. "Hey, don't talk to her like that!" He was angry; how dare this ugly chick be so disrespectful to Hinata.

Sakura's green eyes narrowed as she placed a hand on her hip. "Sit down dog-breath."

"How about you, you slut?! I see how you be trying to get Uchiha-san's attention." Kiba spat out. Sakura's face turned a bright pink shade before she let out a sob and ran towards the door.

"I hate all of you!" She screamed and ran to the women's' bathroom. Ten-ten watched the scene unfold and turned to Kiba.

"How could you say something like that to a woman?!" Kiba stared flabbergasted at the brunette. How the hell did she switch back on Pinkie's side?

"You're one to talk!" Kiba pointed out and once again the feud erupted with Shino sitting quietly on the side and Hinata trying to bring peace in the atmosphere. Sasuke, on the other hand, had already drowned out their yelling. He was more focused on the ones who were quiet and hidden. It was common sense those big mouths didn't do it. Quiet ones are never innocent. Dark eyes drifted to Shino by his computer. The male was reading the paper as if the yelling was a mere whisper or maybe he was sleep. Sasuke couldn't tell since the male hadn't made the slightest movement. _'No…it isn't him. Shino knows everything about computers like Shikamaru. He would have restored the files if that was the case.'_

The Uchiha continued his search, landing on Hinata. She was a quiet one…but it couldn't possibly be her. She would most likely blurt it out herself because she likes to take responsibility for her own actions. _'Those Hyuugas' are too modest…'_

Sasuke continued to look around until his eyes landed on a certain office. _Uzumaki Naruto's office._ The Uchiha found it odd that the blond had not once stepped out of his office during this whole fiasco and that meant the blond was guilty. Sasuke turned to glare at the blond and blue eyes stared at him in panic before shooting up and closing the door to his office. Naruto wasn't ready to be torn to shreds, he needed to collect his mind and prepare for all the yelling. He was hoping the Uchiha wouldn't notice him but that thought was futile.

Sasuke immediately walked over to the office, twisting the doorknob. "You better open this door Uzumaki!" Naruto poke his head behind the glass window and shook his head. "Open it!" Naruto placed a post–it note on the glass that said, _'I'm sorry…please don't hurt or fire me.' _Sasuke smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring of keys. Blue eyes widened in realization when the man shook them.

"You really shouldn't play with me… I have keys to every damn room in this whole building." Sasuke twisted the key in the lock as Naruto backed up behind the desk. He was sure the Uchiha was going to strangle him.

The door opened and the Uchiha carefully closed it while turning the lock. He couldn't have the dear blond running out the room now could he? Naruto loosened his tie as nervousness started to swoop in; he didn't like how those dark eyes were looking at him.

"Uzumaki-san…I'm disappointed. How could you lock your own boss out?" Sasuke walked slowly over to the desk. "You didn't think I was going to hurt you did you?" Naruto bit his lip; the soft tone the Uchiha was using made him uneasy. Suddenly, pale hands smacked down on the oak desk, knocking over a pile of papers. Naruto was so scared that he bit his lip harder than he intended and now his bottom lip was spewing blood like a deep finger cut. He didn't even think to grab a tissue…he was going to remain a statue.

Sasuke slowly approached him behind the desk. It was something about Uzumaki that kept him interested and he didn't know whether it was a good or bad. He didn't want to scare the younger male or even fire him. He just wanted answers and the blond wasn't giving him any. Then he saw the male bite down on his lip. The blond must have bit down too hard because he was bleeding and it didn't help that there were no tissues in sight.

"What did you do? I'm not going to fire you or hurt you…just tell me what happened. Can you do that?" Sasuke continued with a tone hard to identify. Naruto thought there was a smudge of care but it could have been the air vents distracting his hearing. "Hmm?" Blue eyes stared at him and somehow Sasuke couldn't look away. Those eyes were so captivating like the sky on perfect day and before he knew it, he was reaching up with his thumb and swiping the blood off the male's lower lip and chin. He didn't know what made him do it but for some reason he didn't like to see blond with blood on him. It brought up that image that he worked so hard to forget.

Naruto, on the other hand, became stiff as a rock. He couldn't believe what just happened. Someone other than himself touched his lips, especially when it was bleeding. The fingers were so soft like silk and it left this weird sensation. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. His virgin mind and body could only comprehend so much and it didn't help that during this whole time, their eye contact remained. Naruto attempted to look away to find that he couldn't. The Uchiha's eyes held something close to longing and something else he couldn't identify. It was like the Uchiha was a closed book waiting to be pried open.

A loud vibration shattered the moment and the Uchiha stepped back as if he was on fire. He couldn't believe he touched the blond's lips and the blood still lingered on his fingertips. Glancing at his fingers, he hastily rubbed them on his pockets and answered his vibrating phone.

"_Uchiha Sasuke."_

Naruto watched the scene unfold and quickly grabbed a pad and pen from the desk. He had to explain what happened and this was the only way how unless he used sign language or played charades. Those two options did not seem quite fitting for his predicament so he quickly wrote down the incident before the phone call was over. He hoped this would erase what happened moments before and refocus on the situation. The lip thing was just too weird for him.

'_Uchiha-san, I was sitting in front of the computer trying to make some data sheets and suddenly, these files popped up…there were like ten of them and they said, 'Delete? Yes or No'. I didn't know what to do so I pressed __**'Enter',**__ hoping it will go back to normal and all the files disappeared. I'm really sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen. It's just…I'm not as computer-oriented as I thought :( ' _

Sasuke read the note silently and pointed to the ending. "What does that mean?" Naruto pointed to his lips, while frowning.

Sasuke couldn't help to smirk. "Dobe." Blue eyes glared at him. How dare his boss call him a moron! He was about to give him a very angry post-it note but decided against it as his boss sat in front of the computer.

Pale fingers pressed a few buttons on the keyboard and everything was restored. The files popped up as if they were there all along. Naruto swore he could have kissed the man's shoes.

"Naruto…this is the master computer to the whole financial department and it's connected to my own computer in my office. Therefore, I was able to restore the data. If it had not been, I guess we would be having new employees yes? If this happens again, press 'Ctrl, ALT, and Delete', a box will pop up and you are to enter in this code." Sasuke wrote the nine-digit pin number on the pad. "Once you enter the code…everything shall be restored immediately. Understand?" Naruto nodded his head and mindlessly tugged on his tie.

"But this won't be happening again, will it?" Sasuke continued as if a warning. Naruto shook his head again and wrote _'never'_ on his pad.

"Good. So tell me, do you know how to work a computer?" Sasuke asked with slight amusement. Naruto puffed his cheeks out and grabbed his pad.

'_Yeah, just not these fancy things. I don't know half of the functions on this computer! I'm used to the old Apple Macintosh (1)' _Naruto emphasized by using large hand motions and walking around.

"I see…come with me to my office and I'll show you." Naruto was surprised by the Uchiha's offer but nevertheless agreed and followed the man out. As he closed his door, he was shocked to see his workers gone. Naruto looked at Sasuke with a questioning glance.

"I swear I'm going to fire those idiots if not today." Sasuke said more to himself than to the blond. He had no idea where they could have possibly gone unless they all thought they were fired and Sasuke didn't seem so disappointed over the fact. After all, there were millions of applicants who were dying to work for him.

The two stepped out into the hall to find the environment strangely empty and Sasuke was beyond pissed. All hell was going to break loose if he did not see at least one other person. Pulling out his phone, Sasuke dialed Kakashi. The man didn't even answer his phone. _What's going on?_ Then, he heard it; the closing of a door down the hall.

Naruto followed the older male quietly down the hall to arrive at some kind of meeting room. There seemed to be a lot of people in the room, considering the noise emitted and the Uchiha looked everything but pleased. Sasuke was about to open the door when he heard Uzumaki's name.

"_How do you all think Naruto-san got the job? I think he bribed Uchiha-san with tons of cash." People seemed to have agreed with that statement until someone called out._

"_No…I have his address right here. He's not rich; he lives with his aunt." _

"_He lives with his aunt! Obviously he had just come out of high-school! A little kid, I tell you!"_

"_How old is he anyway?"_

"_18…20 at the most!"_

"_Can he really not talk? You have to be crazy to not talk. Maybe he was from the loony bin."_

Sasuke immediately looked at the male next to him. He hoped the blond didn't take it personally and shockingly, Naruto looked emotionless like everything had been wiped clean. Sasuke didn't know why…but he didn't like to see that expression on his new employee. It seemed so wrong. Without a second thought, Sasuke opened the door and everything fell silent. His dark eyes glanced around and boy, was he pissed. He had to take a few breaths before he exploded on everyone.

"What the hell is going on here?!! I walk down the hall to find every fucking employee in here!! Obviously, you do not care about your job since you all are talking about Uzumaki-san. Really…do you idiots really want me to fire you because I'm so close…?" Red colored eyes landed on Kakashi. "What are you doing in here?!"

Kakashi looked around and immediately stood up. "Hmm…this isn't my office. No wonder it looks different. Silly me…" The older man quickly exited after murmuring a quick "I would hate be in your shoes" to all the employees.

"Hold it Kakashi, what _was _happening in here?" Sasuke asked with a heated glare. Kakashi rubbed his chin and glanced at the blond.

"They were talking about Uzumaki-san. It seems a lot of people were curious about the blond so they decided to hold an unauthorized discussion. I, being so responsible, decided to sit on the discussion for safety purposes." The older male answered confidently. Sadly, Sasuke found the last part to be crap.

"Save it Kakashi…all you bring me is a big headache." Turning his head, Sasuke stepped all the way into the room. "So you all want to know about Uzumaki-san? Is that true?" Heads slowly nodded in answer. "So you were so curious that you were willing to lose your job?" Heads shook 'no' in answer. "Hn…well Uzumaki-san is here right now. He heard most of your impertinent questions so you might as well get the correct answers." Sasuke motioned the other in and everyone's eyes lowered as guilt seemed to over wash them.

Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly as he walked in and looked at the floor. He wasn't comfortable in front of a lot of people. He felt he was being judged on all angles and it made him nervous. Kakashi quietly entered back in the room and stood against the wall. He loved to watch people choke on their curiosity.

"Alright…who's first? You better start asking before I change my mind and send you all home." Dozens of hands flew up in the air as if they had been reenergized. "I'm going to work around the room; he can either answer or chose not to answer and if I hear crap, you are out of here. Have fun finding a new job. Now let's start. "

"How old are you?" One woman asked. Naruto grabbed a marker and wrote '22' on the board. Many couldn't believe it and some were jealous. Naruto was going to look great at fifty!

"Are you rich?" Another asked. Naruto shook his head 'no'. That was such a stupid question. If he was rich, he wouldn't be working that's for sure.

"Did you go to college?" A man asked. Naruto grabbed a marker and wrote 'Yes, I have a degree in accountancy.'

"Can you really not talk?" A blond haired woman asked. Everyone in the room seemed to lean in their seats. Naruto again shook his head 'no'. "Then how did you get a job?" Naruto started to explain in sign language but realized no one would understand what he was talking about so he wrote in big letters, 'Same way you did.' Not everyone agreed but the Uchiha's cold stare told them otherwise.

"What happened for you not to speak?" Naruto looked at Sasuke for an answer. The dark haired male understood immediately.

"That is a question he would rather not discuss." Sasuke replied monotonously.

"Did you just move here in Tokyo?" Naruto nodded his head and held up one finger. Eyes looked at the Uchiha for a translation.

"It has been about one month since he moved here. One more question, you all have jobs to do correct?" Heads nodded quickly and one small hand was raised in the back. Naruto noticed her because she worked in the financial department. He couldn't remember her name though.

"A-are…y-you single Uzumaki-san?" The girl was as pink as a tomato and it didn't help that everyone looked at her before turning to Naruto. It seemed everyone was interested about the blond's love life. The blond couldn't help to notice that the Uchiha looked interested as well.

Naruto grabbed a blue marker and wrote 'single' on the board. He didn't find it to be a big deal; many people his age were single. They probably had their first date and kiss already but he had time. After all, he was only 22.

"Oh really…well if you are not busy later…" Naruto was pushed out the room so fast; he couldn't tell whether it was a male or female asking him out.

"Kakashi, make sure everyone is back to work and don't forget to tell them, all their checks are cut short this week. Next time, they won't get one and they will be standing in the unemployment line." Sasuke said with frustration lacing his every word.

Kakashi nodded. "Will do." The older male watched the Uchiha leave and stood in front of the room. "Hmm…you all have thirty seconds to get back to work or you will be out of work. Right now I'm on fifteen seconds, so you better start running." Everyone in the room pushed and shoved out the room, running to their departments. He even heard some very colorful language along the way. Ah yes, Kakashi loved his job.

On the other side of the building, two men walked down the hall in a peaceful silence until a smirk decided to play on one's lips. "You know…you are an interesting one, Uzumaki." The blond smiled and pulled out a post-it note, writing a message. Once he was done, he stuck on the Uchiha's suit and placed his hands behind his head. Dark eyes looked down at his suit and grunted in contentment.

'_You too Uchiha, you too.'_

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(1) That ancient computer…brings back my elementary days.

_**Hooray for SasuNaru moments**_**…I know…I'm at 12 chapters in the story and no romance, but it shall come in time. This story is very long. Also, I want to thank you all for the support and everything. You guys are amazing.****I know my update time is bad but I'm working on it. I promise. So reviews are appreciated as always and I want everyone to have  
A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS. YOU ALL DESERVE THE BEST!**


	13. Train Me

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and everyone's support. I have posted a new story 'Paranoia' (NaruSasu) so if you are interested, **_**please**_** check it out and tell me what you think :)**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 13: Train Me**

Uchiha Transportation Services was a business based on perfection. Not only did the machinery have to be perfect but the people who worked under the company name had to be perfect as well. Perfection was not needed or preferred as some thought. It was required; a requirement which could lead you down a path of successful fulfillment or a very long unemployment line. Uchiha Sasuke, being the cold-hearted man that he was didn't want to send the poor blue-eyed blond to the unemployment line so he decided to teach the blond perfection; this perfection beginning with simple computer training. Sasuke wouldn't say he was the best at computers, heck he even had his fair share computer training a few years ago, but the blond didn't need to know that. It was a pointless piece of information which hopefully would disappear into oblivion along with the awkward silence filling the room.

"So Uzumaki, I figure you know all the parts of a computer?" Sasuke asked monotonously. Naruto bit his lip and looked at the various parts. He had a fair idea but he wanted to be sure. Moving his hands, Naruto pointed to the first piece of machinery and did sign language, using only the alphabet.

'M-O-D-E-M' he spelled and looked at Sasuke for the correct answer. Pink lips curved into a small smile at this strange way of learning but nonetheless nodded. He could understand sign language using the alphabets; he just couldn't understand anything other that.

"Alright, what is this?" Pale fingers touched the rectangular screen on his desk. The blond smirked knowingly and spelled out the letters.

'M-O-N-I-T-O-R' was the accomplished word and blue eyes looked at him confidently. Naruto was sure he got the word correct; there was no doubt until he saw the Uchiha smirk and move his fingers.

'M-O-N-I-T-O-R S-C-R-E-E-N' was spelled and Naruto couldn't help to feel the Uchiha was playing with him. Seriously, monitor screen was the same as monitor. Well, that was what he thought.

"Something wrong Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked knowingly, as he saw the blond's confused expression. Blond locks shook and Naruto lifted his fingers to spell his thoughts.

'I-G-O-T-T-H-A-T-R-I-G-H-T' Naruto crossed his arms and watched to see how his boss would respond.

"You would have…but you missed a word." Sasuke smirked and took a seat behind his desk. He was enjoying this sign language game for some reason; it was different compared to everything else he did.

Naruto raised his hands in defeat as if saying 'alright' and pointed to the speakers. He looked to the Uchiha silently asking him to spell the word. Pale fingers lifted up and spelled the word with ease while vocally saying each letter.

"S-P-E-A-K-E-R-S, am I correct?" Sasuke asked while folding his hands under his chin. Naruto tilted his head to the side and sadly shook his head 'no' before spelling the word out again.

'B-L-A-C-K-S-P-E-A-K-E-R-S' Naruto crossed his arms and pulled a chair next to Uchiha, before sitting down. He was waiting for that bastard to challenge him.

"That's the same thing. All you did was add the color." Naruto smiled and pointed at the dark haired male then to the monitor. The Uchiha had done the same thing minutes before with the 'screen'. It was so obvious.

Dark eyes looked back at him; not fully understanding the message being communicated.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto grabbed his 'post-it' notes from his pocket and wrote what he was trying to say.

'_You did the same thing with the monitors. I'm just proving a point. It's all the same.'_

"How so?" Sasuke asked curiously. He knew it was the 'same' but he liked the push the blond's buttons. Somehow the reaction he received was like food to his soul.

Naruto gave him a hesitant look with his forehead slightly creasing in the middle, before scratching his head. He didn't know how to answer Sasuke's question because he was confused. Were they talking about the monitors or the speakers? For some reason, his mind wasn't working top-notch today and he didn't know why.

"Dobe." Sasuke called the blond out of his thoughts. He enjoyed the little insult for his new employee. It seemed natural and of course it made Naruto mad, so '_why stop such an act?'_ he concluded.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at the older male after realizing he had just been insulted. He couldn't believe he was being treated so rudely and without a second thought, a tan hand formed a 'b' hand shape with the thumb and index finger side pointed inward and struck it against his forehead **(1)**. It wasn't till afterward that he noticed he had made a huge mistake.

'Damn hands!' Naruto cursed inwardly before folding them so they could no longer cause damage.

Sasuke witnessed the whole scene and found it to be slightly humorous. He couldn't figure out what the blond had just said but he knew he had been insulted in sign language. He definitely needed a book on sign language if he was going to survive this 'communication' situation.

"Well Uzumaki…" Sasuke turned his chair towards the computer. "If you're done spreading your wonderful comments, we might as well get back to work." Blue eyes widened in shock. _Did Sasuke understand him?_ Naruto quickly shot out his hand as if saying 'wait' and Sasuke looked up, feigning curiosity. It seemed the 'silent one' had something to say.

'Did you know what I just said?' He wrote on his pad while biting his lip. Dark eyes glanced down at the paper, a faint smile gracing his features and pointed to the rectangular object on his desk. He was going to ignore the question and let the thought haunt the blond.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked, getting back to the job at hand. Naruto couldn't respond as he stared at the Uchiha. He was searching for anything at all behind those eyes to tell him something but he couldn't see anything. Those eyes were cold, dark, and lonely…completely screaming emptiness. He had never seen such a trait.

"Well?" The Uchiha persisted, not liking the way those blue eyes analyzed him. Naruto finally directed his eyes elsewhere and slowly raised his hand, spelling each letter.

'_K-E-Y-B-O-A-R-D'_

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"Hey, you guys, do you think the Uchiha found out who messed up the computers?" Kiba asked, turning around in his chair.

"I suppose…because everything is back to normal…" Tenten supplied thoughtfully as she finished up some paperwork.

"And he didn't fire any of us…not that I'm complaining." Shikamaru added lazily. Hinata giggled and folded her hands.

"Umm…I'm g-glad h-he didn't fire us." Hinata stuttered out. "I l-like working f-for Uchiha-san." Kiba grinned in response and shuffled his chair over to the pale-eyed brunette.

"Wow, me too Hinata! I bet we have lots in common. We should talk about it over lunch." Kiba wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis, causing the Huuyga to blush terribly.

"Alright… I-I will like that Kiba-san." She responded timidly and Kiba grinned like he won the lottery. He knew he was one lucky man.

Sakura, sitting behind her cubicle, rolled her eyes at the sickening conversation she had just witnessed. '_Those two could not be serious…'_ she thought as she began to file her nails. '_Stupid Dog Beast embarrassing me in front of Sasuke. Now he probably thinks I'm the worst person on the planet.' _Sakura threw her purple nail file down and propped her red heels on her desk. She had to fix this, but how? She didn't have a boyfriend to show off to make Sasuke jealous nor did she have anyone to give in a good word for her. Basically everyone in the financial department hated here except her supervisor who barely knew her.

_Wait…hold on. _

Sakura twirled a pink strand around her finger as she thought her plan over. She had two methods and the blond would be perfect for both. All she had to do was butter him up by flirting and working hard, he would then consider going out with her, and Bam! Sasuke would see what he was missing. Or she could suck up to the blond until they became great friends and ask him to tell Sasuke about her and her dedication to the company. _'This is too good'_ Sakura squealed in the inside before pulling out her compact mirror. '_Now all I have to do is choose which one.'_

It wasn't even five minutes, before red heels met the floor and Sakura stood up. She had a plan and it was going to start today.

"_Hey, has anyone seen Uzumaki-san?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi was excited. Today, he had a special lunch date with a cute little dolphin and he couldn't wait. He hadn't seen Iruka in over two weeks and that wasn't good. If he was going to seduce the male, he had to at least have human contact during the week and those devices called phones just wouldn't suffice these days.

Spraying on his favorite cologne, Kakashi straightened his suit and fixed his hair. He hated the way it had that limp spikiness to it. He was going to have to talk to Naruto about how he controls those unruly locks of his or else he was going to be investing in some major hair gel.

'_Hair…don't fail me today.' _He thought.

Dark eyes quickly glanced at the clock and Kakashi quickly locked up his office. Was he going to let anybody know he was leaving? Heck no! Once they knew he is leaving, the workers would throw all their problems in his face, holding him back several hours. That was not happening again. Last time, he ended giving marriage counseling when the topic was finance sheets. How that happened? He did not know nor wished to know.

The grey-haired man whistled a jolly tune as he waited for the elevator. He hadn't felt this great in a long time; working for an Uchiha did have its disadvantages. Seriously, who knew Sasuke, the CEO, came with his own bundled of problems. To this day, Kakashi still hadn't completed solving them and he didn't know if he ever would; they were basically never-ending.

Kakashi leaned back on the soft elevator cushions as he rode it several floors down. He prayed no one would see him but sometimes he was never that lucky. Peeking his head out between the doors, Kakashi made a bee line to the exit, eyes on the destination. He was almost three steps out the door before he heard his name.

"_Kakashi?"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto watched his rolling pen as the Uchiha explained the different types of files monotonously. The voice was so dull that Naruto was getting a headache. He couldn't stand it so his concentration slowly diminished.

"Here we have the data charts…" The voice was like a backdrop in his mind; not really there but there. "You click this in order to open the sub-files…"

Naruto lowered his body so he was eye-level with his pen and began blowing to see how far it would move. He was impressed that it went as far to hit the Uchiha's coffee mug. He was about to try it again before a pale hand snatched the pen up, pocketing it for later.

"Pay attention." Sasuke scolded before continuing the training. Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly and crossed his arms. What was he going to do now? He wasn't going to pay attention to this boring training; that would be the last thing he would do. So Naruto began to look around, eyes inspecting the desk, to realize his chair moves. He could swirl within his seat while sitting on it. Sasuke couldn't take that away.

Naruto placed his feet on the sides of the chair and began twisting. It was pretty fun in his opinion. It could spin pretty fast and it even had a handle where you could lean back. He was about to pull it until he saw the hard gaze directed at him. Naruto immediately sat up, feigning interest and innocence at his boss.

"Are you paying attention?" Sasuke asked aggravated. Naruto nodded his head in confidence; a little part of his brain had paid attention. "Well, what did I just explain to you?" Naruto grabbed his pad and found a pen.

'You showed me how to save, create, and open data files as well as how to organize them by date, size, and usage. You then went on how to delete and restore these files.' Naruto placed his pen down and folded his arms. His mind backdrop had never failed him once.

"Hn. I'm surprised… due to the fact that you have a short attention span. I guess your brain really does work." Sasuke smirked receiving a glare from his employee. "Well, I think that is enough for now. It's about time for your lunch break…correct?" Naruto nodded and stood up, ready to feed his stomach. He could hear his freshly packed bento lunch calling out to him.

'Here I come' Naruto inwardly called until his eyes drifted to the Uchiha. _Was he going to eat lunch too?_ He seemed so lonely.

Sasuke looked up, noticing the blond's staggering stance and raised an eyebrow. _What did he want? _Naruto twiddled his fingers before opening his mouth, pointing a finger in and nodding his head to the door. He wanted the Uchiha to eat lunch with him.

Sasuke shook his head, not even giving it thought. He was not eating lunch with his employee or anyone else for that matter; he didn't even like lunch with Kakashi. He liked to have his solitude especially when it came to devouring food.

"I'm busy." The response was cold and left no room for argument. It was like he crawled back into a shell and Naruto couldn't figure out why as he stared at the older male. Some way or another, he was going to figure this out. He had to; no one deserved to have such cold, unfeeling eyes. All Sasuke needed was a friend and he was going to become his friend whether the Uchiha liked it or not. With this plan in mind, Naruto silently left the man's office and made it down to his own. He had some work to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi turned around to see Kurenai holding a box of binders. She looked a little winded but nonetheless, held the box against her hip.

"You're leaving so soon?" She asked. Kakashi looked down at his watch, calculating his time. He had to leave now or else he was going to be late. Yeah, he was always late for everything else but he didn't want to screw this up with Iruka.

"Ah…yes, I have an important meeting. I shall be back later though." Kurenai looked at him with a frown. She was hoping he could help her bring up the supplies from storage.

"Oh…well…do you-" The dark haired woman was cut off.

"Sorry. I really am but I must go." Kakashi topped his comment off with a slight wave leaving a stunned Kurenai.

"Hn. Thanks for nothing." She mumbled before slowly walking down the long hallway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto reached his office to find his division working hard. He hadn't done much supervising lately but that was going to change now. Grabbing a marker, the blond wrote a question on the board.

'_Have any of you had breaks yet?_' Six heads looked up at him and shook their heads 'no.' Naruto nodded and pointed to clock before raising his hand. The staff obviously did not understand what he was trying to say by their questioning gazes.

'_You all can go on your hour break. Be back before 3_.' All six stood up, leaving their workspace for a relaxing break. Naruto was about to do the same when he saw one of his workers, waiting behind. Sadly, he couldn't remember her name. It sounded similar to Sasuke though.

"Hi. Are you going to have lunch too?" The pink haired woman asked innocently. Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly and nudged his head towards his office. He then tapped his head, fingers forming into a 'Y' as they pulled away (2).

Sakura managed to interpret that simple word and smiled. "I didn't have anyone to each lunch with and I was wondering could I eat with you?" Naruto's eyes widened a fraction before looking away. He couldn't believe a pretty woman wanted to eat with him.

"If you're busy…it's okay." Sakura continued, adding a hint of sadness in her voice. Naruto frantically shook his head and lead her to his office. He didn't want her to go. He wanted to each lunch with someone too.

"Nice office Uzumaki-san. I love how you have it organized." Sakura awed as she looked around. "You seem to have great taste." Naruto smiled and motioned her to a chair by his desk. He wasn't use to receiving compliments so he did a quick thank you by moving his hand to and from his mouth. He then pulled his pad out, writing down a short note.

'_Call me Naruto. Uzumaki-san makes me feel old.' _Sakura smiled and flipped her hair back.

"So _Naruto_, What did you bring for lunch?" The pink haired woman asked curiously as she sat down. Naruto pulled out his Bento box from under his desk and opened it so she could see the contents. "Oh…that looks delicious. I didn't bring much; just some leftover onigiri and some pocky."

Naruto smiled and sat behind his desk, ready to eat. He couldn't do much conversation with Sakura which puzzled him even more why the woman would like to eat with him. He could only communicate to her with his pad unless she knew sign language and he highly doubted that.

'_Hmm…how is it that I can communicate with Sasuke better than anybody else? He hardly knows sign language but he understands me.'_

"Naruto, would you like some pocky?" Sakura asked, snapping him from his thoughts. Blue eyes looked at her before widening in surprise. He loved pocky; he hadn't had pocky since he was a little kid. His mother would always buy a box for him and her from the little market near their house. Then they would play with them like action figures before eating them. His mother was great. She really was and now that he thought about it, pocky would never be the same without her.

The blond briefly shook his head and stared at his food. This strange but natural feeling was starting to rise in his chest. It always happened when he thought of his family, sometimes bringing up images he rather not see. Pushing his food away, Naruto grabbed his bottle of aspirin and took two pills. The pills always made him feel better and at ease, as if everything was alright in his life. It was like the medicine wasn't even aspirin; just some kind of memory repressor. Little did he know that he was right; it was disguised Clozapine in an aspirin container. His aunt changed the contents before giving it to him and tossed the regular aspirin down the sink.

"Are you okay? You don't look so well." Sakura stood up, leaning over the desk to feel his forehead. "You look slightly pale." The woman leaned further across the desk, allowing her bosom to be seen by her drooping blouse. Blue eyes unconsciously looked down and saw her cleavage. He swore he felt the blood rush to his face as her shirt seemed to dip lower. He had never been this close to a woman before; he still had the mind of an innocent teenager.

'Wow…those…those…are….AHHH!! I'm a pervert!' Naruto pulled back as if he was on fire and gave a weak smile for his rudeness. Green eyes gave him a worried look before walking over to him, behind the desk. Her boss was red like a tomato.

"Oh my gosh, you're so red. Are you sure you're not okay? Do you need to lie down?" Naruto shook his head 'no' and held his hands up. He couldn't be around Sakura anymore after seeing 'those' parts. His face would never restore its natural color if this lunch continued.

'_I'm fine!'_ He quickly scribbled on his pad. _'I just need some fresh air.'_

"Oh…would you like me to join you?" Sakura asked innocently. Naruto shook his head again, avoiding eye contact before standing up to leave. "Oh…" She said dejectedly as she tossed her trash away. "I understand…I know when I'm not wanted."

A hand immediately went to work against a piece of paper, before ripping the sheet off and handing it to her.

'_No. I didn't mean it that way. I'm just feeling a little sick right now. We can eat lunch together anytime!'_ Sakura smiled and folder her arms.

"Lunch?" Naruto nodded, ready to push her out his office. "What about dinner?" Naruto nodded again, not really listening. He had to get out of there.

"Okay! Friday night at eight. It's a date." Sakura escorted herself out the blond's office and made her way to women's bathroom.

'That was too easy.' She thought as she buttoned up her blouse. 'A little _peek _always does the trick.'

Naruto, on the other hand, rushed off to the faculty lounge for a cup of water and some fresh air. He was suffocating up in his office with that woman, who was very attractive. He never had such close contact like that before and he wasn't ready for more. It wasn't like she would want to eat with him again though. She would have said something.

_Wait…_

Naruto dropped his cup, water spilling over the dark carpet as realization hit him. '_A date?!!'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi arrived to a small café at the heart of the city and casually walked into the restaurant. He was happy to see his little brunette behind the counter, graciously serving the customers. He looked cute with spottings of flour against his cheeks in his opinion. Grabbing a newspaper, Kakashi slowly zigzagged around the tables to stand in line. He wanted to surprise Iruka at the register. It was less than five minutes, before her heard the simple line of customer service.

"Can I help you?" Iruka asked, not looking up from his pad.

"Umm…yes, I would like something sweet. Perhaps a brunette." Iruka looked up to see the back of a newspaper. Kakashi peaked his head from behind the paper while winking at the brunette. Iruka blushed.

"K-Kakashi…" Iruka stuttered out in surprise. "What are you doing here?" The older man folded his paper and leaned against the counter.

"For my lunch date of course." Iruka looked at him confusion.

"When did we plan a lunch da- wait who said it was a date?" Kakashi chuckled.

"I did. So come sit with me while you have your break."

"My break doesn't start until…" Iruka faded off and looked up at the clock. "Now." He finished with astonishment. "How did you…?" Kakashi smirked and ordered his meal in response.

"Come on…" The older man left to find a table and Iruka clocked out for his break before handing his apron over to another employee. He then grabbed both of their meals before sitting down, still wondering why did he agree to this.

"You know Kakashi, you could have asked me before showing up or at least alerted me. Then I wouldn't have to sit here with dough all over my clothes."

"Now why would I do that?" Kakashi asked amused. He didn't really have a planned lunch date for today. He was just going to show up and do what he just did. He was after all, a man of surprises.

"Because that's what people do." Iruka responded, before biting into his sandwich. Kakashi chuckled again and gave a long look at his companion. "What? Is something on my face?" The brunette asked now feeling self-conscious by the way those dark eyes looked at him.

"Yeah…you have some flour on your cheek." Kakashi reached over and swiped it off with his thumb. "There, all gone." Iruka blushed at the action and mumbled a barely audible 'thank you'. The older man found it so cute as he too bit into his sandwich.

"Oh _Iruka_, you have a little mustard on your lip. Let me help you." Iruka narrowed his eyes and grabbed a napkin, challenging the other male. It wasn't even a second before it was over.

_The napkin won._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(**1)That is sign language for… (Wait for it) **_BASTARD!_** (Try it)**

**(2)That is sign language for '**_Why?_**'**

**Hmmm…I enjoyed this chappie a lot. Anywho, I wanted to point out the permanent side pairings so far: KibaHina and KakaIru. If you have any you want to see, let me know :) also, the 'hand signs' Naruto use are ASL correct. I did not make them up since I want this to be realistic.**

**So (looks around)…who wants to be my BFF by reviewing? Come on…I know you want to.  
Just faving me doesn't count. (That irks me) **


	14. Taunt Me

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and everyone's support. Sorry this took too long; I had to write it over three times because my computer was being crap. It takes a lot of energy and time to write these things over :( **

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

  
_

**Chapter 14: Taunt Me**

The alarm clock's red numbers glowed within the dark room as blue eyes stared up at the ceiling. It's been like this for the past week and it was frustrating. He could never go to sleep, no matter how hard he tried and when he did it was time to go to work with that demanding boss of his. Of course, he knew the job wasn't going to be easy but did the Uchiha have to get on his case all the time. Naruto swore the man had nothing better to do than torture him and throw folders on his desk. Plus, it didn't help when the blond was actually about to pass out from lack of sleep and was then ordered to work overnight. The Uchiha even had something to say about his lack of sleep when he was the one causing it. That bastard, always disrupting my body clock (1).

**Flashback**

"Uzumaki, I don't see how you can be possibly tired. It is not like you have a woman at home to keep you up all night and by the way you look now, you may never have one. Now pick up the pace or you will be here overnight." The blond couldn't respond. He felt so exhausted and angry at the same time that he could only manage the narrowing of the eyes. How dare he be insulted like this?

Sasuke smirked and began heading out the door. "You know…glaring at me is not going to benefit you either."

Luckily for him the Uchiha didn't turn around or the man would have received the nice 'Goodbye' of the middle finger.

'_Fuck you, you bastard'_

At times like these…he wished he had a voice. Post-it notes just couldn't serve justice anymore.

**End of Flashback**

Naruto frowned and closed his eyes, trying to drift off to sleep.

'_Damn that Uchiha…I try to be nice. I really do but then he has to be such a bastard. No wonder he has no friends…but I won't give up. I will become his friend even if it kills me because I know he has a heart somewhere within that thick layer of ice.'_

It wasn't even an hour before Naruto finally dozed off and two before his alarm clock decided to go off. Seriously, his life couldn't get any better than this.

'_Not again…' _was his only thought before dragging himself out of the bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you fucking serious…?" were the first few words that flew out of his mouth as he walked into the kitchen. There was no coffee, no food, no paper… (Where the hell was his paper?) to be found in the kitchen. He needed those things to have a successful day at work and they were not available. There was never a day Chouji forgot to do these things so where the hell was that chubby man?

"Chouji!" There was no answer. "Damn…"

Sasuke was about to go look for the man so he could release his 'unhappiness' but something was telling him this was suppose to happen. The Uchiha thought over the last couple days when he actually talked to his hired help. The man said something about taking his wife on vacation or something for the week and that he wouldn't be in.

"Hn…why the hell did he need a vacation now?" Sasuke murmured to himself as he walked into his study. "His wife can't possibly be that special…"

_Wife?_ He didn't have a wife or anyone for that matter and sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have a partner. Someone to care for you and show you love that you've never felt before. He didn't know why this sometimes bothered him because he was perfectly fine with his life. He didn't need anyone clinging onto him and being a nuisance; that would only slow him down.

'So why does the feeling linger?' He thought as he buttoned up his cuffs and looked in the mirror. It wasn't even a second before he turned away. He hated looking in the mirror. He was looking more and more like his brother everyday and it disgusted him. Why did he have to look like _him_? Why?

Straightening his tie, he grabbed his briefcase and keys and left for the nearest café. He needed food and coffee if he was going to survive the day. If he didn't, he would be thinking of this nonsense all day and of course that couldn't happen.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stood in kitchen, tie hanging loosely around his neck and a briefcase wrapped loosely around his fingers. He was hungry, tired, and achy and his aunt wasn't around to solve any of his problems. He was really starting dislike her new night-shift right about now because she was suppose to be taking care of him. Yeah, he's a grown man but he liked the womanly help. He liked that someone cared to fix him food, make him coffee, and bid him Goodbye to work. It made him feel special and maybe that's why so many men had wives.

Wives? He didn't have a wife or a girlfriend for that matter, heck he never even went out on a date before unless you count the one with Sakura this upcoming Friday. Was his life really that pathetic? Was he really that unattractive?

Naruto glanced in the mirror and ran a hand through his tousled locks. He looked like he had been run over by a truck which probably explains his single status. He wouldn't look like this if it wasn't for that damn Uchiha. He wouldn't have bags under his eyes, slightly pale skin, and a thin body frame. This is all Uchiha Sasuke's fault for him being single.

Of course this wasn't true but Naruto wasn't planning on being rational. His mind couldn't take rationality at this point. Hello, he was living on three hours of sleep so you can't expect miracles.

Sighing, the blond glanced at his watch and tightened his grip on his briefcase. If he left now, he would have time to stop at the small café near work to grab some food and coffee. So without a second to waste, Naruto left, closing the door softly behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sasuke pulled up to the café thirty minutes later, parking it on the side of the building. The place was small therefore not a lot of people did business here and he liked that. Being around a lot of people, in his space and breathing his air bothered him especially when they were tourists or people who wanted a date. He really hated those who wanted dates, what was he to them? Eye candy? Did he as a person matter? He had likes, dislikes, and hobbies…did anyone care?

In a way that bothered him, was his life going to be this way forever? Would he ever find someone who wanted him just for him? Thin lips formed into a frown before replacing it with an emotionless mask. He shouldn't be thinking about this when he had _other_ things to worry about.

Making sure his car doors were locked, his slid on his sunglasses and walked into the building. As imagined, the place was barely crowded with only a few customers. He could sip, eat, and read his paper in peace without having his face printed in some kind of random magazine. Ah yes, he liked that.

"Good morning. Can I help you sir?" The man behind the counter asked. Sasuke looked up, taking his sunglasses off in the process to find he had seen this man before. Too bad he couldn't really remember. The man must have known him too because he diverted his eyes to the counter.

"Yes. The largest coffee you have…black…a banana nut muffin and a paper." The cashier quickly punched in the order and that's when the Uchiha saw it. _The name tag._ The name tag said 'Iruka' on it and he remembered eating cinnamon rolls by a man named Iruka.

'Hn…so he's the one who arrived on Kakashi's doorstep that morning…'

"That will be-" Sasuke cut the brunette off and tossed a large bill on the counter.

"Don't worry about it. Keep the change." Sasuke then took his items and found a comfortable seat by the window. He was going to enjoy his morning to fullest and nothing was going to stop him, not even a certain grey haired man.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stepped off the monorail with his briefcase in tow only to be presented with Uchiha Sasuke's face. He hated that billboard which had all those women swooning over him; it was disgusting. Seriously, in Naruto's opinion, the Uchiha wasn't really a catch. He was boring emotionless, and a bastard. Who would want that when they could have him? He was friendly, lived with his aunt, couldn't talk, been in the mental house, took meds frequently…_okay_…maybe he wasn't a good catch either but he was definitely way better than the Uchiha!

Straightening his tie, Naruto began walking towards the small café. He could basically taste those fluffy muffins and coffee with a hint of over sweetened sugar and cream. Oh yes, Naruto could never be without his coffee condiments. Those condiments assisted him by moving that black liquid down his throat and that was truly a gift.

Blue eyes glanced down at his watch. '_I have two hours to kill…great…I have time before that Bastard ruins my day.'_

Naruto took a look around on his way to the café and strangely almost wherever he turned there were happy couples walking around. Happy? Was his life happy? He honestly didn't know. What was happy? The blond stared at them despondently before continuing his walk. Maybe he needed a partner? He was going on a date with Sakura Friday so maybe she could make him happy.

'Date?' He didn't like that word. He had never been on a date before so was he even datable? Naruto turned around to look at his reflection in the large window. He couldn't imagine anyone by his side in life. There was just this big empty space. He couldn't even see Sakura in the image.

Naruto took a step closer, squinting his eyes in the process. Maybe if he looked harder…he could see someone in his future. Heck, he didn't care if it was his aunt or the female custodian at Uchiha Corps…at least he wouldn't be alone.

Suddenly an image did come into view. It started out as a shadow and before he knew it, the shadow had on a pair of black shoes, a black suit, and a tie. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. Was the window magic? Naruto hesitantly moved closer and the figure then had a face.

_The face?! It can't be! _Naruto stumbled back, almost stepping out into the busy street. The person in the image was… _Sasuke._

Sasuke smirked as he watched the blond stumble like an idiot on the sidewalk. He must have scared the poor blond by the reaction he received but you can't possibly believe he would read his paper while someone started intensely at him through a window. He was sure the blond saw him beforehand but perhaps he was wrong since the man clearly seemed detached from reality.

Naruto looked around, apologizing to the people he bumped into in the process, and ran a hand over his face. He swore his mind was playing tricks on him as he looked back at the window. No one was there. This is what he gets for living on three hours of sleep and having a bastard as his boss.

'_He ruins my life…even when I'm away from him…'_

Naruto turned to go into the building when abruptly he felt something wrong. His pockets were light. His pockets were never light because they had his keys; the keys to almost every god damn room in Uchiha Corps. and his home. He must have dropped them during his embarrassing stumble.

'_Oh shit…Sasuke is going to kill me if I lost those keys…'_

Blue eyes quickly scanned the perimeter to find them lying by the lamppost. Naruto silently thanked the heavens and rushed over the grab them. He almost had them too before another hand shot out and snatched the keys. Literally, the person's arm went over him and picked them off the ground. Naruto was in such shock that he just stared at his empty hands. He had been robbed of his keys in broad daylight!

The person behind him seemed to twiddle the keys before moving to stand on the side of him. Naruto caught sight of the shoes first. They were black and made of the finest leather with strings perfectly knotted. Strange, the Uchiha had the same shoes and the man wore a black dress suit similar to the Uchiha's…very strange indeed.

"Dobe…" Naruto looked up into that smug face which tortured him every hour of the day. He couldn't believe this! Someone was really out to get him today. "Are you going to stare at me all day?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants. He was not going to be belittled by an Uchiha on a sidewalk. How low is that? He held out his hand for the keys.

"What? You want the keys? Why would I give them when you almost lost them?" Naruto shook his head. He did not lose them…he just dropped them.

"I'll keep them for now. After all, I don't want you locked-out of your own house." Sasuke smirked and Naruto could only seethe in anger. He really needed his coffee if he was going to have to put up with this or even try this friendship thing. After all, one can only take so much.

Naruto pointed to the café and walked in, leaving the Uchiha to follow. He was going to be civilized even if it kills him. The blond saw that the Uchiha had already ordered and was seated by the window. Maybe that explains why he saw him earlier.

Naruto shook his head. _'Heh, the window wasn't magic after all…'_

"Good morning, can I help you sir?" The brunette said without looking up. When the customer didn't respond, he looked up to see a blond.

"Naruto! It's so great to see you again. How have you been?"

'_I've been well…and you?'_

"Good. How about your aunt?"

'_She's good too…'_

"That's great…so what can I get you this morning?"

'_Large coffee, extra cream and sugar and a chocolate chip muffin. I haven't had one in so long.' _Iruka laughed and rang up his order. Naruto enjoyed talking to the older man because he didn't have to use a pad to be understood. Iruka knew and could read sign language and that made him feel normal for once.

Naruto paid for his food and grabbed his items. '_Thanks Iruka._'

"No problem Naruto…tell me about the muffin. I made them this morning." Naruto nodded in response and left to find a table. He saw the Uchiha looking at him as if an invite but what if he was wrong. He would never hear the end of it.

'_Then again…I really want to try this friendship thing and he has my keys. I can't go to work without my keys…'_

Naruto slowly stepped over to the man's table and gave a slight smile. Sasuke looked up from his paper, face blank before continuing to read. At this point, Naruto was ready to throw his muffin at him but a little voice in his head told him to be civilized.

_Yes, he had to be civilized._

The blond loudly pulled out the chair and placed his items on the table, pushing the Uchiha's food out of the way.

Yeah…he couldn't be civilized at the moment. It just wasn't working and neither for the Uchiha because he glared and loudly sipped on his coffee. Naruto narrowed his eyes in turn and snatched the man's paper.

"Give that back Uzumaki…" He said tersely. Naruto ignored him and began to cut his muffin into halves. He would have had two halves if Sasuke didn't knock it on the floor. This about drew the line. Naruto was sure he used every curse word in sign language in about thirty seconds before smashing the Uchiha's left over banana nut muffin with his fist.

He couldn't take this. He was going crazy and the fact it was onlythe Uchiha who made him like this bothered him even more! Naruto grabbed his coffee, his small piece of muffin, and briefcase and left without another word. He needed to cool off before he suffered a headache.

The blond quickly walked until he found a nearby bench and plopped his items by his feet. He should be fine once he finishes his breakfast and goes for a walk. Those two things always seemed to calm him down.

Naruto silently ate his muffin, enjoying the taste. It was really delicious with those miniature chocolate chips and wished he didn't leave without telling Iruka about how good it was.

'_I guess…I'll tell him tomorrow…' _He thought as he sipped on his coffee. The coffee was made to perfection as always and it didn't take long for him to start feeling better. He was sure now he could survive the day if the Uchiha didn't bother him.

"Dobe…" Naruto looked up and frowned. _Speak of the devil, here he is._

"_Here..." _A brown bag was shoved in his face as the Uchiha looked to the side. It seemed the dark haired man was uncomfortable. Naruto hesitantly took the bag and looked inside. You could never guess with the Uchiha.

Inside was a muffin. A _chocolate chip_ muffin.

For some reason, Naruto couldn't help to smile. Maybe the man wasn't so cold hearted as he thought and just needed some loosening up. Naruto motioned a 'thank you' and slid over so the man could sit. Surprisingly, the man did after a moment of awkwardness.

For a good half hour, the two sat in a peaceful silence, enjoying the nice whether. It wasn't until an idea popped in the blond's head that he stood up.

He pointed to a building across the street and motioned the Uchiha to follow him. It was a bookstore that sold various kinds of genres. Sasuke looked at him questioningly before following suit. He didn't see why they were going into a bookstore but he kept his thoughts to himself. The morning had been bad for the both of him and he didn't want to increase the tension because in all honesty, he really did like the blond. He did good work, completed things on time, and ran his department smoothly. He knew he wouldn't find anyone like him again and he really didn't want to. In a way, the male was growing on him and changing him. Not in a million years did he think he would result to such childish acts in a café or even in public. He seriously didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Naruto lead him into the back of the bookstore, where works of literatures were piled just about everywhere. The blond must have known what he was looking for too because he found the book with no trouble.

"Ah Naruto, you decided to get the book after all." The bookstore owner said. Naruto nodded and smiled. "Did you want me to wrap it?" Naruto shook his head.

Sasuke watched as the man bagged the item and the blond paid. He really wanted to know what the book was about since he didn't get a good look at the cover.

"Tell me the results, you hear?" Naruto nodded and waved goodbye to the old man before leaving the store. He could see Sasuke looking at him curiously and decided he made the Uchiha wait long enough. He took out his pad.

'_Remember when you taught me about computers?'_

"Yeah..."

'_Well I'm going to teach you something too…_' Sasuke raised an eyebrow as the blond gave him the bag. Naruto motioned him to take out the book. Sasuke pulled out the book, stuffing the bag in his pocket and read the front cover.

"ASL Phrasebook and Dictionary for New Learners: Complete with illustrations and references. " Naruto smiled and waited for a reaction. He was excited for some reason.

"You're going to teach me sign language?" Sasuke asked, a small smile gracing his features. Of course, you would have to look really hard to see it but Naruto saw it.

Naruto nodded and wrote on his pad. '_You can keep the book. It's yours.'_

"Thank you. So how do you say, 'You're late for work Uzumaki'?" Naruto glared with no real power and formed a 'b' hand shape with the thumb and index finger side pointed inward and struck it against his forehead before walking away.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke called after him. Naruto held up four fingers, showing him the page number.

Pale hands flipped through the pages and couldn't help to smirk when he found it. Yes, he was going to enjoy sign language very much.

The word was _'Bastard'._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Reviews are appreciated :)

**Sorry about the shortness. I just wanted to post something since its been a long wait. Next chapter will definitely be longer.  
**

**Also, I didn't have time to re-read…so sorry about any mistakes. I will fix them **


	15. Understand Me

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and everyone's support. Sorry this took too long; You see…I got lost on the path of life and was later saved by some rouge ninja. What? You don't believe me? Ask Kakashi-sensei, the same thing happened to him :p**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

* * *

**Chapter 15: Understand Me**

Uzumaki Naruto didn't know what to think as he twirled his fork around his favorite noodles. Why was he sitting here, eating lunch with Uchiha Sasuke? The most selfish, egoistical bastard he had ever met. This was a mystery to him. He could have sworn that it was his plan to ignore the dark haired man for the rest of the week for the little stunt he played last night. You see, the Uchiha took the blond's building keys when he wasn't looking, stashing it for his own pleasure and when it came time for Naruto to leave, the blond found he couldn't without his keys. So he spent the whole night searching the whole building to receive a text message at three a.m. stating that his keys were in the faculty refrigerator! The damn refrigerator! Naruto broke his cell phone last night, for the anger to choke the Uchiha consumed him. Surprisingly, the man agreed this morning to get him a new one after lecturing him about responsibility and being on time for work. Seriously, who was the _real _cause of all his problems?

Naruto let the thought sink in and ate his ramen noodles silently, while glaring all the while. Uchiha Sasuke was ruining his life. Before he wasn't sure, but now he was definite. This man before him was a sinister bastard! Who does this to their employees, especially when they are basically handicapped? He couldn't talk! Only cruel people could be so…so…cruel.

"You know, your glaring has no affect on me. You should stop before you hurt yourself." His cruel boss suggested. Naruto could only glare harder in response.

"Suit yourself Uzumaki; I'm only looking out for your well-being." He said with a smirk and for a second, Naruto thought to spit his noodles on the man's face but Sasuke wasn't worth it. He wouldn't waste a perfectly good noodle on him. "Back to business, I need you to stay late on Friday. There is a meeting Monday and it would be beneficial to everyone to bring awareness to cost-reduction opportunities. I want you to conduct reviews and evaluations based on these opportunities and give them to when you are finished so we can go over them. I'm sure you don't have other plans, so think as this as your Friday night entertainment."

Blue eyes stared at the man before him with something close to shock. Was he just insulted? _'I'm sure you don't have other plans…' _How could someone easily imply something like that? Yeah, he doesn't usually have plans on Friday, well never actually, but this Friday he actually does. His date with Sakura is that night and honestly, he didn't want to miss it. After all, this was a once in a lifetime chance and here he was being instructed to work on his night off!

"Is something wrong Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked with a hint of amusement. Naruto bit back his annoyance and said _'No'_ in sign language.

"Good. I'm glad you-" Naruto cut him off.

'_No.' _Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"_No _what?" Naruto refrained from rolling his eyes and pulled out his pad and pen. Seriously, Sasuke better start learning sign language because the blond was fed up with writing stuff down. If Naruto was stuck with the older man all day, he was sure to be writing a whole book just to get his point across.

'_No, I can't stay late on Friday. I have plans.'_

"You have plans?" Sasuke repeated with feigned shock. "What is it? Watching some kind of anime show? No wait, it's playing board games with your aunt? No, no…I bet its feeding the stray cats outside your apartment building. Am I right?" Naruto rolled his eyes, seemingly undisturbed by Sasuke's implications about what he does in his free time.

'_I have a date if you must know. Therefore I can't stay late Friday.'_

"A date?" He chuckled. "You can't be serious."

Naruto swore he was dying from all these insult. The Uchiha was spurting them like fire and naturally, they hurt. Was he so unattractive and messed up that he could never have a date?

'_I am serious if that's so hard to believe. You would have dates too if you weren't such a bastard.'_

"If only you knew Naruto. I've had more proposals for dates than you can count. I can go out with anyone I want to but I just chose not to. I don't have time for a relationship or a commitment like some people. I can't afford to be slowed down." Sasuke said the last part so low and serious that Naruto felt as if something else was being implied.

'_So you rather be alone the rest of your life?' _Sasuke pressed his lips together into a hard line, before softening into a smirk.

"Who's your date? Does she work here?" He asked, ignoring the blond's question.

'_What does it matter?' _Honestly, why did Sasuke care?

"Just a question. I don't want you to be disappointed."

'_What is that supposed to mean? Why would I be disappointed?'_ Sasuke shook his head and stood up, tossing his trash away.

"Nothing. Enjoy your date Naruto. I'll have you do those evaluations another time. I have to leave but when you're finished, close the door shut. " Sasuke started out the door. "Oh and remember this, people deceive to get what they want in the workplace. Don't get in too deep without knowing their true intentions." Naruto stared at the now empty spot where his boss once stood, confusion etched across his face.

_What was that about? _

It seemed as the days went by, their conversations just got more awkward.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shikamaru stared at the white board and felt a lazy smile grace his lips.

'_I need the weekly budget reports from you guys. Give them all to me by the time you leave.' _

Honestly, having Naruto as his boss was heaven on earth. The blond was so easy to deal with that he enjoyed coming to work. Everything was so peaceful in financial department if you count out his noisy co-workers and that was perfect. He would be finished with his weekly report in no time then he could take a nice long nap. Life was too great.

"Oi Shika, I need your help man!" Kiba exclaimed, walking into the room. Shikamaru looked at the dog lover emotionless. Maybe life wasn't too great.

"Must you be so loud? I'm right here."

"Sorry man…I just get carried away." Kiba said sheepishly.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "What is it?"

"You know Hinata right? Well, I heard her talking to Tenten and she was saying how she was single and everything. I like her a lot so I was thinking of asking of her out."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Shikamaru asked, walking back to his cubicle.

"I don't know how to ask her out without blowing it. I was hoping you could help." Kiba asked with a hopeful puppy look in his eyes.

"So troublesome.... First…" The lazy man paused, emphasizing the importance of his words. "Never make that face again. That would scare any woman away." Kiba immediately dropped the look, feeling a bit insulted. "Second, be yourself. It's not meant to be if you can't be who you are. Though for you, tone it down a bit."

"Hey! What are you implying?" Kiba yelled offended. Shikamaru seemed to be throwing insults like balls.

"Well first, that you are too loud." Shikamaru seethed out annoyed. Kiba's big mouth would burst anyone's eardrums. "And second, that Hinata is a sweet girl. A gruff acting man wouldn't necessarily be her ideal partner. You understand? Just tone down the guy side in you while keeping it you."

"Oh okay man, I think I got you…so can I practice with you first?" The lazy brunette stared at him causing a prolonged silence.

"What?" Shikamaru finally said. He was not acting this out with Kiba. That was just so unnatural and weird.

"Please dude, just once and I won't bother you anymore. Please…" Kiba begged.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Shikamaru let out a sigh. "One time and I will tell you what I think. Don't expect me to do much acting. Got it?" The shaggy brunette nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Got it. Just one question…should I start a conversation with her first?" Shikamaru ran his fingers through his hair.

"I would hope so."

"Alright here I go…_ 'Hey, how are you today?' _" Kiba looked at Shikamaru to say something. The lazy man rolled his eyes.

_"Fine. Yourself?"_

_"Good. I'm glad that you are good too. So do you enjoy working here?_" Shikamaru frowned.

What kind of question is that?

_"It pays the bills."_ He responded monotonously.

"Shika! That isn't something she would say and you know it." Kiba yelled, waving his arms around.

"Fine. Is this better? _'I really like working here. Do you?'_"

"Yes and _'Yes, I do like working here. It's a nice environment. It's calm and peaceful.' _" Kiba could see Shika hold in his laughter at the BS(**1**) he was spurting out but he chose to ignore it.

_"Do you work the rest of the week?"_

_"Obviously, this is a full time job where we have to work five days a week excluding weekends."_

"Shika…" Kiba growled.

"Oh right… _'Yes, I work the rest of week. I only have off on the weekends like you_.' "

"_Oh yeah, that's right."_ He chuckled. _"Well I was wondering if you are not busy this weekend, if you like to go out. I know this nice little spot where we could have dinner, just you and me._" Kiba waited for Shika to reply to see the man frozen in shock. "Shika, did you hear me? What's wrong?" The shaggy brunette found the man's eyesight to be staring at something behind him. Kiba turned around to see the girl of his dreams, Hinata. She seemed in shock too, while trying to access the situation in front of her. She couldn't believe it. She just came back from lunch and was going to offer Kiba some cookies she baked to him to see him asking Shikamaru out. That was like a smack in the face. She swore Kiba liked her if she read the signs right; Tenten even agreed. Never in a million years would she have thought he was gay or even bisexual!

"Hinata…" Her pale eyes glanced at him. "This isn't what…what you think." He murmured finally. He seemed to be having a hard time too, considering the amount of worry etched on his face. She then saw his look at him at Shikamaru. The lazy brunette just shook his head.

"Hinata, let me explain," Kiba tried again. What you are thinking is completely wrong."

"What is wrong?" Tenten asked, walking into the room and grabbing some papers.

"Everything-" Kiba started as he looked at the floor.

"Nothing!" Hinata cut him off. "Kiba is just j-joking. We were talking about cookies and K-Kiba was saying e-everything is wrong with world if you don't like c-cookies." Tenten seemed to believe her excuse, seeing the cookies in her hands. She laughed.

"Kiba has a point…how can someone not love cookies?" Tenten then drifted off to her cubicle leaving the three alone in a triangle.

"Hinata-" Kiba started.

"I baked some cookies for you." She cut in. "Y-you should try some. I r-remember you saying Chocolate C-Chip was you favorite." Hinata placed the small container on the desk. "I-I hope you like them." The Hyuuga then left out the room, not sparing them any eye contact.

"Oh shit Shika, what do I do?" Kiba panicked.

"I helped you once Kiba and now, she thinks we are gay guys about to have dinner together. You are on your own my friend."

"B-but I didn't think she would walk in when I was asking you out."

"You asked Shikamaru out?" Sakura asked, walking into the room.

"Oh no, not again! I didn't ask him out!" Kiba pulled his hair in frustration. "I gotta find Hinata, quick." The brunette ran out the room, determined to search every floor. Sakura watched him leave the room and looked back at Shikamaru.

"Do I want to know?" She asked. Shikamaru chuckled and ran a hand over his face.

"No, you really don't."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared out the window, looking at his reflection. He should be doing the piles of paperwork which was clouding his desk but he couldn't concentrate long enough due to the nervousness in his stomach. His date was two days from now and he was so unprepared. He didn't have a car or a restaurant planned. He could always drive his aunt's car but how embarrassing was that. Nobody wants to ride in that old thing. Maybe she could pick him up? _Wait what?_ That's worse than driving his aunt's car.

'_What am I going to do?'_ He screamed inwardly.

The knocking at his door snapped him from his panic and into the present, he saw through the glass that it was Shikamaru. He waved the man in.

"Hey Naruto." The man yawned out with a folder in his hand. "Here is my section of the budget report. Was that everything you needed?" Naruto nodded and motioned a _'thanks'_.

"Well, I'll be at my desk if you need me.' He watched the blond look hesitantly at him. "Are you sure you don't something?" He asked again. Naruto bit his lip before grabbing his pad and pen.

'_I need your advice on a few things.'_ Shikamaru read on the paper.

"Sure, on what? As long as it's not relationships or dating…I helped somebody with that earlier. It didn't go so well." He saw the blond's face fall after the comment, notifying him quickly of the topic they were going to discuss. Shikamaru couldn't believe this. What was he? A love doctor? Some kind of matchmaker? If that was the case, why was he single? Oh right, he was too lazy to put up with the stress of dealing with women.

"Uhh…I guess I could help. Tell me what's troubling you?" Blue eyes lit up at Shikamaru's submissiveness and quickly grabbed his pad.

"You don't have to write it. I can understand some sign language…learned it in grade school. Don't expect me to sign back though." Naruto lips formed a 'o' before breaking out into a grin.

'_Oh wow, I never knew that. I'm so glad too meet people who understand me. It gets tiring writing everything down, you know? That Uchiha makes me write all the time, though I know he understands me in some cases. Anyway, I wanted your advice on a few things. I have a date Friday and I'm so unprepared.'_

"What do you mean?"

'_I don't have a car or a restaurant to go to.'_

"Why don't you use a company car? I use them all the time."

'_Oh right...well, how you get one?'_

"You have to fill out some papers, they are in the main office then you have to get them signed…"

'_By who?'_

"The Uchiha."

'_I have to get it signed by the bastard. He won't sign them! He is one cruel man…unless…' _Naruto faded off as an idea popped in his head. '_Unless…I give him a good reason too. Thanks Shika.'_

"No problem and about the restaurant thing I say go to "_Ichi Aoi_". Their entrées are very good and affordable. I took my mom there once, she enjoyed it." Naruto wrote the name down and looked up.

'_Thanks Shika, you really saved me.'_

"Glad to help." Shikamaru stood up and headed out the door. "Good luck." Naruto watched the man leave before looking back down at his paper. This date was going to go perfect.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi knocked on Sasuke's door worriedly. He didn't see the young man all day; he seemed to be avoiding him more than usual which bothered him. He hoped nothing Itachi-related made its way to him.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi slowly opened the door. "Sasuke…" He stepped in the room to see the dark haired man sleep on the couch; a book lay over his chest, wide open. He lifted it up, reading the front cover.

"ASL…sign language."

'_Sasuke's learning sign language for our quiet blond. He never stops surprising me._' Kakashi placed the book on the table and left out the room. He supposed he would be hosting today's meeting. Naruto-san was sure to be in for a treat.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kiba leaned against the doorframe to the faculty lounge, panting heavily from running all over the building. He couldn't find the pale eyed woman anywhere so he was starting to believe she went home. But she couldn't, they all didn't get off till' five. Taking a deep breath, Kiba opened the door to the lounge hoping to get a drink of water. He got more than he hoped for because as soon he opened the door he saw the new water fountain and the girl he had been looking for the past thirty minutes.

"Hinata…there you are. I've been looking all over for you." Kiba walked slowly into the room, waiting for a reaction. She stared at him before forcing a smile on her face.

"O-oh I'm sorry. W-what did you need?"

"Stop Hinata." The brunet said with a frown before sitting down around the circular table. "I don't want you to ignore what happened in there. You need to know the truth despite how embarrassing it is." Hinata stood up, looking towards the window.

"Y-you don't have to e-explain. You and Shika-kun will be-"

"Stop!" Kiba yelled, slamming his hands on the table. The Hyuuga turned around, frightened. She never saw Kiba so angry before. "There is no Shika and Me! I'm straight I promise you. It may not seem that way despite what you saw but its true. Just let me explain." Hinata gazed at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I was practicing with Shikamaru on how to ask a girl out…specifically you. He was giving me pointers so I wouldn't make a fool out of myself. I don't know how to act when I'm around you so I wanted everything to be perfect when I asked you out. I didn't want you to think I was some jerk or something…I don't like Shikamaru. Well, I do…but not like that. I hope you believe me…Its just when you walked in, it was such a bad timing and I didn't know what to think because it was…embarrassing. Ugh…I know…I probably sound like such an idiot but please understand." Kiba looked up for the first time during his whole explanation. Hinata was looking down at the floor and he started to think she didn't believe him, but her lips twitched and she started laughing. Her soft laughter filled the room that she covered her mouth with her hand to quiet them.

"Y-you really are s-something Kiba." She continued to laugh and Kiba didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Is that good?" He asked. She nodded her head.

"Yes, b-but honestly Kiba, You didn't have to do all that. I w-would have said yes either way."

"Really?" Kiba asked, eyes wide. The Hyuuga nodded her head. "Oh well...umm… w-would you like to go out sometime? Like this weekend? I know this nice little spot where we can go out to dinner." Kiba wiggled his eyebrows, causing Hinata to laugh again.

"Of course, I-I would like that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto stared at the _'Motor Vehicle'_ application form Shikamaru told him about. Was the Uchiha serious? This form was like applying for a job! Seriously, who needs to know your previous driving experience! It's none of their business. Plus, he had to fight tooth and nails just to get the stupid form. The receptionist kept going on and on about them going out for a cup of coffee and how it was her treat. Seriously, she could save her money and drink coffee in the faculty lounge. She also kept winking at him. Maybe she had something in her eye? He didn't stick around to find out; he just pried the paper from her hands and rushed out the office.

'_Okay…I just need the bastard's signature and I'm set. I'll just tell him I need the car to visit another branch which he would believe and bam! I have a car for my date.'_ Naruto grinned and started to head back to his office. He was almost there but his path was blocked by a certain grey haired man.

"Naruto-san…I was looking for you. We have a staff meeting to get to." The man said in a happy mood. Naruto tried to get past him so he could fill out the paper but Kakashi wouldn't let him leave. "No, no…it's this way." Two hands gripped his shoulders, turning him in the other direction. Naruto shook his head which Kakashi understood as the blond being scared. "Now, now…no reason to be scared. Everyone is really nice in these meetings." He said in a fatherly tone. Blue eyes glared at him in response as he was being pushed down the hall. He wasn't scared; he just needed to get to his office to fill out this paper before the Uchiha leaves. Oh well, he supposed he could do it later.

Naruto was harshly shoved into the meeting room by a happy grey-haired man. Naruto turned again to glare at the older man to find him in the front of room.

"Naruto-san! Nice of you too join us….please sit and enjoy this youthful meeting!" Guy said jollily. Naruto took his advice and sat at the complete opposite side of the table from Guy. He wasn't sitting anywhere near that man.

"Where is Sasuke?" Hayate coughed out. Everyone murmured in agreement.

"He won't be with us today…he's not feeling well so I will be conducting the meeting."

"Are you sure you're even allowed to do that?" Hayate coughed out again, causing everyone to hum in agreement.

"Are you sure I shouldn't tell Sasuke that you guys didn't complete your projects due this week? Hm?" Kakashi retorted. Everyone fell silent; they didn't want Sasuke to know about that. "I thought so…now stop complaining. Today Naruto has joined us…as you know, Sasuke bombarded him with tons of work so he hasn't had much time to step out of his office and indulge in these wonderful meetings. Would anyone like to update him on our past discussion?"

"I will." Anko called out. "Last meeting we discussed the different kinds of facial expressions Sasuke makes." Naruto eyes widened incredulously. Was she serious? What happened at these meetings?

"He has an angry face." Gai yelled out.

"He has a bored face and an annoyed face." Kurenai pointed out.

"He has a cool face." Hayate chirped in.

"No, his cool face is the same as the annoyed face. He just makes the annoyed face look cool." Kurenai informed the room. Everyone 'Ah'ed' in understanding.

"He has a longing face…it only happens every blue moon though." Kakashi added in.

"He has a sad face. I saw it once…I think." Gai said, rubbing his chin.

"He has an '_I will kill you face.'_" Anko stated.

"No…I think that is the same as his angry face." Hayate supplied.

"I don't think so…his _'I will kill you face' _is ten times angrier. Kind of like the one he is sporting right now." Everyone turned around to see a tousled, angry Sasuke. It seemed someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed since he was glaring like he could burn holes in their forehead.

"Oh...Sasuke…" Kakashi chuckled before dodging to the other side of the room. His co-workers shall be his body shield. "Nice of you to join us. Feeling better?"

"What's going on in here?" He said lowly. "I don't think my face was on the agenda, now was it Kakashi?" The older man looked around as if he didn't know what he was talking about. "I don't know how we are supposed to run a substantial business with idiotic workers." Sasuke glanced around the room, but stopped when they landed on a certain blond. Everyone saw it; a new face to add to their reference book. _But what to call it? _It was hard to describe. It was like his cool/annoyed face, yet his eyes weren't as hard and they were mixed with something else. Something else which would never be voiced for the fear of being wrong or worse, fired.

"Dobe you're in my seat." Sasuke said, walking over. Kakashi wiped the imaginary sweat on his forehead, surprised the Uchiha forgot about them just like that. Naruto should be at these meetings always.

Naruto glared, causing some to gasp. The blond was going to be fired any second.

"What did I tell you about glaring?" Sasuke smirked, causing some to gasp again. The blond wasn't going to be fired. How unfair!

'_What did I tell you about calling me that name, you bastard!'_ Naruto signed, knowing Sasuke wouldn't understand.

'_Nothing, dobe.'_ Sasuke signed back. Now everyone gasped, excluding Sasuke. They couldn't believe it. Sasuke knew sign language. When did that happened? Naruto just gaped like a fish.

'_You should close your mouth baka.' _Sasuke continued, snapping Naruto back to reality._ 'People can see you._' Blue eyes looked around to see sets of eyes trained on him and it made him flinch back. He couldn't handle people staring at him. It made him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. He didn't notice that he was inwardly panicking until he felt a hand on his arm. It was Sasuke, trying to get his attention. He was asking a silent question. Naruto nodded before gathering his papers. He was stopped again.

'_Stay.'_ Sasuke motioned to the chair and sat down in the one beside him. Naruto tilted his head in confusion but sat back down.

"Well…" Kakashi said, breaking the silence. "Let's resume the meeting with today's actual discussion choices. They are sleeping on the job." Kakashi's one eye glanced at Sasuke and he didn't miss the '_promising pain'_ look he received back. "Or Sasuke's informative data lecture." Everyone groaned at the latter.

"Alright, its Sasuke's informative date lecture. Great choice everyone." Sasuke sent an extra glare the older man's way before starting the meeting. Why did he bother coming to these things? Oh right, if he didn't, Kakashi would hold it and that couldn't happen.

"Over your department," Sasuke began." you all are instructed….." Naruto watched amusedly around the room; Sasuke's voice like a backdrop. He could definitely get used to this.

The meeting was soon over and everyone was dismissed back to their departments. Only three people remained in the meeting room: Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto. Sasuke was arguing with Kakashi about how he always ruins their meetings and Naruto was quickly filling out that _motor vehicle_ form for Sasuke to sign before he went back to his office. He was finished in five minutes considering most of it looked like chicken scratch but he didn't care. He just needed a signature.

"Maa, Sasuke…you know you enjoy those meetings and you shouldn't be so angry. You were able to take a nice nap and remove those puffy bags from under your eyes."

"Its not lack of sleep that causes bags under my eyes. Its you!"

"That hurts Sasuke. It really does." Sasuke rolled his eyes and looked away. _Stupid Kakashi_. "Naruto-san, what can we help you with?" Naruto held up his paper briefly. He just witnessed their whole conversation. They had a weird relationship going on in his opinion. "Oh well, Sasuke's not doing anything, he could help you. " The older man walked into the hall with a wave. He ignored Sasuke's heated gaze. "I'll be around if you need me." With that, he was gone leaving the two alone.

"Stupid Kakashi." He heard Sasuke mumble. "What is it Naruto?"

'I need you to sign this form, please.' Naruto handed him the paper.

"You need a car? What for?" The Uchiha asked, seemingly not interested.

'_I-I have things I have to do and I have to visit one of the branches…'_ He somewhat lied. Sasuke glanced at him before signing his name on the paper. He tossed the pen on the table.

"Have fun on your date." His boss said monotonously out the door. "And don't crash my car." Naruto stared surprised at his back. Was he a bad liar even when using sign language? How did Sasuke even know sign language? And did he really have a car for his date? Blue eyes looked back down at the singed forms.

He did and it was all thanks to his bastard boss. Maybe Sasuke wasn't so bad.

"Oh sorry Naruto-san, I forgot to give you next weeks schedule." Kakashi popped back into the room, laying the paper on the table. "Enjoy the rest of you day." The older man said with a chuckle as he left the room. Naruto looked down at his schedule; everything was doubled and his breaks were missing.

This was Uchiha Sasuke's doing. That bastard!

Sasuke wasn't so bad? What was he thinking? He bumped his head, that's what!

'_Sasuke wants to play games, I'll show him. Two can play this game. ' _Naruto glanced back down at his signed paper. _'Of course, after I get my new car. Can anyone say 'New Audi?'_

* * *

**I'm sorry for the several month long late update. I've just been really busy.  
****And now, I just moved away to college. So who knows how long it will be to the next update. Once I move in and get settled, expect an update.  
****Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. This story is over a year old but it shall be finished! I promise.  
****Anyways, reviews are appreciated :) **

**(1) BS is Bullshit lol**


	16. Lose Me

**A/N: Oh shiz…it's been more than a year, really sorry :/ I'm so embarrassed :$**

Refer to first chp. for info and all that good stuff.

* * *

_Silence has a voice,  
yet not many hear it  
When was the last time  
you actually listened  
to the silence?  
Could you hear it?  
Or was it too much to bear…  
to be forever silent?_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 16: Lose Me**

Today was Friday. Friday meant someone got paid, someone had a date, and someone wasn't at home watching late night animes with his aunt. Not that a certain blond didn't like watching _Ghost in the Shell_ at 1:30 a.m. with his aunt, but he was freaking twenty-two years old and that was starting to become a little disturbing. Most people his age were out partying, relaxing with their significant other, or trying to pull the stick out of their ass-_Uchiha Sasuke_- and here he was wasting away in front of a 60 inch television for the past few weeks. Thankfully, that all was about to change. He would go to work today, putting up with Sasuke and his bastardly personality, take home his new car- _2010 Audi_- while prying his aunt off the hood, then get ready for his date which would consist of a dinner, a movie, and a walk in the park. It was perfect and he was excited for tonight. It was obvious by the small smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" He heard his aunt ask as she put on her coat.

'_Today is Friday.'_ He signed back to his aunt. _'Something good is going to happen today.'_

"Ohh really? Well, I hope something good does happen. I wouldn't mind coming home early today and sleeping for who knows how long." Tsunade laughed to herself. "Well, hunny, text me if you need anything. I get off at four but it may change if I'm lucky." Naruto nodded.

The woman took one last glance around the room before walking to the door.

"I guess I have everything. Well, have a good day at work and I left your lunch on the counter." Naruto motioned a 'thank you' and waved goodbye.

"Bye Sweetie." The door closed with a '_click_' and Naruto stared, already have forgotten what he was supposed to be doing right now.

'_What time is it?'_ Blue eyes glanced out the clock, eyes almost bulging out in the process. He had only an hour to get to work and he wasn't even ready. He swore the clock said six when he sat down to watch TV. _'Oh it did say six! I watched TV too long.'_ The blond ran to his room, throwing on his suit. It was simple black suit with a plain white dress shirt that his aunt brought for him. He could only shake his head as he slid on his dress slacks. His aunt brought everything for him, not that he was complaining, but he was honestly too old to be treated in such a way.

The blond then went into the bathroom to do his morning hygiene and his hair. He hated his hair; when he wanted it spiked, it was flat and when he wanted it flat, it was spiked. He couldn't tame this mess on his head and he wasn't for using hair gel. He didn't like that gunk in his hair, so he could only helplessly finger comb his locks. Supposedly, the females liked it by the way they keep winking at him. At first, he thought they had an eye problem but it then occurred to him not every woman on the third floor could possibly have an eye problem.

Naruto gave himself one last glance in the mirror before rushing into the kitchen to grab his things. He had his lunch, keys, and phone. Was he missing anything? Blue eyes glanced around the room. He spotted it in the corner. _His briefcase_. How could he almost forget that? Naruto bent down to grab it and was out the door the next second.

The ride to work was boring. He stared out the window, sometimes eyeing his reflection for twenty whole minutes. Then when he got off the monorail, he looked up to see the bastard's face. However, his eyes widened remarkably when the Uchiha's billboard was no longer there. It was now replaced with a woman in a bikini, advertising incredibly low airfare prices to some kind of Island. Naruto grinned, swinging his briefcase over his shoulder. It was official; today was going to be a good day.

It was 7:55 a.m. when Naruto stepped into the Uchiha enterprise. He had made great timing and now all he had to do was make it to his office before the Uchiha spotted him. Naruto waved a 'good morning' as he passed the security desk and waited patiently for the elevator as it descended from the top floor. The doors finally opened to a face he would rather not see.

"Uzumaki." The Uchiha pulled back his sleeve, revealing an expensive watch. "Running late, again." Sasuke looked up, smirking.

Naruto had to force himself from rolling his eyes.

'_I wouldn't be late if you hadn't stopped me. Now, if you can please excuse me.'_ The blond made a move to get on the elevator, only to have hand grasp his shoulder.

"No, I don't think so. I want to show you something. Follow me." Sasuke started walking down the hall, leaving Naruto to follow helplessly behind. His boss took him outside and around the back of the building to end up in the company's garage. It held all the rental cars and other large company vehicles. For some reason, this area looked familiar but he didn't know why. Probably because he was tired from all that walking, it was hot out there!

"Here are all the cars that the company own and that I tend to lend out. As you can see, they are in perfect condition." Sasuke's dark eyes pierced him. "I want them kept that way." Naruto narrowed and adverted his gaze to the cars. He definitely loved that black Lexus in the corner. It had a sunroof and leather seats from what he could tell.

"So does anything interest you out here?" Naruto's blue eyes stayed on the black car on the corner, causing the Uchiha to follow his line of sight. "Ah, the Lexus. One of my newest additions which only experienced drivers can use. Since you lack all the necessary driving skills, I would suggest that one in the far right corner." A pale finger pointed in the direction.

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. It wasn't because the car was amazing but because it was a piece of junk. The whole front was rusted and the paint, oh lord, who knows what happened to the paint. Naruto assumed it to be originally red, but it looked like a faded pink. Then there was a huge dent screaming at him from the passenger side and the back window was taped up with a black trash bag. Was this Uchiha serious? Naruto couldn't even determine the maker sign since the metal brand no longer existed.

"Like what you see?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

Naruto glared and crossed his arms.

"What? That's the best car I have for people who can't drive." The Uchiha justified.

'_I can drive!'_ Naruto signed back angrily.

"You don't have a license."

'_I don't need a license! That piece of plastic doesn't teach one to drive.'_ He defended

"True…but you need one before I let touch that black car over there." Sasuke looked smugly at him, challenging him to say something.

Naruto did nothing surprisingly.

He only stared at Sasuke with repressed anger. He was so pissed. The bastard knew he had a date and somehow wanted to ruin it. Why couldn't he just lend him the damn car? Not that piece of crap in the corner (He wouldn't be caught dead in that piece of junk) but the Lexus. Why couldn't the bastard for one day pull that stick out of his ass and be a little-less cold. Naruto rolled his eyes; like that would ever happen. That stick wasn't coming out anytime soon…so he might as well get to work before the bastard decided it was '_Fire Naruto Day'_. He hated those days. Sasuke would fire him for stupid reasons such as drinking too much coffee and the blond wouldn't get his job back unless he got on his knees and begged for his employment. His begging usual consisted of curse words and the famous _'bastard'_ but Sasuke enjoyed it nonetheless.

**(Flash Back)**

"Uzumaki, you are slipping up. I expected the email five minutes ago and I got it in eight. This is very disappointing especially since this isn't the first time. I like my emails on time, I don't mean earlier or later. A dobe like you seems to find that request a bit difficult."

Naruto's red dilated eyes glared back at him. He was tired as hell and here was the mighty Uchiha complaining about his EMAIL being a few minutes late. Who does that?

"Are you glaring at me?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. Naruto gave him the '_what do you think look?_' and took a sip of his coffee before turning his attention back to the computer. He hoped the bastard would take the hint and leave but he wasn't that lucky.

"Are you drinking coffee?" Naruto answered by taking a long sip. "How many cups did you have?"

Naruto held up four fingers.

"Ahh I see and does that help you?" Naruto shrugged, not really sure.

"So I allow you to sip my finest coffee, coffee that other companies would die to have and you don't know if it is helping?" Sasuke asked.

'_Pretty much and by the way, this is the same coffee I have at home. I brought it from the grocery store. Not fancy at all.'_ Naruto signed to him with little effort. Sasuke glared, stomping over to his desk.

"You're fired! That's right…I want you to pack up your stuff and leave." Naruto had to fray from rolling his eyes. Not this again. This was the third time his boss fired him in a week!

'_Why? I did nothing wrong.'_ Naruto stopped typing on the computer to give his full attention to the Uchiha. His boss seemed to like it when the blond focused only on him.

"Why? You are drinking up all my finest coffee! You are a free loader. I don't want free loaders in my company, so I want you gone." Sasuke said with a wave of a hand.

'_You have market brand coffee. Very cheap.'_ Naruto stated innocently.

"Another reason you should be gone, your smart mouth Uzumaki."

'_My mouth? I can't talk'._ The blond smiled as Sasuke snarled.

"Even so, you are fired! Have fun finding a new job."

'_No, please don't fire me! What do I have to do?'_ He knew the answer but his boss seemed to like this little role-play with dialogue.

"Hmm…Beg, so I know you are grateful. Beg, so you know your position. If you disappoint me…you are gone for good."

'_Yes, Uchiha-san.'_ Naruto stood up, walking to the front of his desk. He waited for the embarrassing command, inwardly cursing his boss to the deepest pits of hell.

"On your knees." The blond could see the sadistic glimmer in the Uchiha's eyes. He couldn't see how the man could get so much satisfaction out of this, but he complied anyway letting his pride take a beating. "Now beg." Sasuke ordered.

Naruto groveled at his feet, but gave up once Sasuke told him to kiss his shoes. Hell no! He wasn't kissing anyone's shoes.

"Uzumaki, kiss them." Sasuke ordered, lifting his foot up.

'_No, you bastard!'_ Naruto signed, standing up.

"Kiss them."

'_No!'_ The two argued until Sasuke had his daily dosage of amusement. He then walked to the door and said, 'you're rehired Uzumaki, consider yourself lucky'. Which Naruto responded with a pleasant middle finger.

_Fuck you, you bastard._

He hated these days so much.

**(End of Flashback) **

'_I'm leaving.' _Naruto turned around to continue his long walk back to the main building; he didn't care what Sasuke's expression was right then. All he knew was there in his office he could panic and curse his boss to hell and no one could stop him. Sasuke watched Naruto walk out of the garage and back to the building. Maybe he was being too hard on the blond? The Uchiha frowned. Was he seriously having second thoughts on this? He continued to watch the blond fade from his line of sight. Yep, he was having second thoughts on this and with a sigh, he pulled out a set of keys.

Naruto looked up at the sun, feeling the light breeze wash over him. It felt good and seemed to him calm down. For the past month, his anger levels have being reaching peaks they've never reached before and it was all thanks to the Uchiha. _Stupid bastard, ruining my date. I hope he feels guilty!_ Naruto pouted and continued his way back to the main office. He wasn't even halfway there when a car pulled up beside him.

It was the Black Lexus and Naruto had to admit that car was beautiful.

"Dobe, get in." Blue eyes darted to the Uchiha, who was stepping out of the car. "Prove to me that you can drive. If so, I'll let you use it."

Naruto had to bite his lip to stop the grin from appearing on his face. _'Really?'_

"Yes, now hurry up. I don't have all day," Naruto didn't have to be told twice. He hopped into the car, running his hands on the black leather. Everything inside screamed new, even the smell. He couldn't wait to drive this baby! He looked over in the passenger seat to see Sasuke slid on his seatbelt. Obviously the man cared for his own well-being, so he should too. Naruto strapped himself in tightly, still gazing at everything in awe.

'_So…where shall we go?'_ The blond signed.

Dark eyes stared at him momentarily, almost as if he was about to regret what he was going to say.

"The town plaza. You know where that is right?" Naruto nodded hesitantly. He really confused on why his boss wanted to go to the Plaza. Personally, he thought someone with a face like that shouldn't be walking around so casually. He was like the richest person in Japan.

'_The town plaza. Why?' _The blond found himself asking.

"Just go before I change my mind."

Naruto rolled his blue eyes and put the car into drive. Slowly, he eased out onto the busy highway towards the city's core. The ride was awkward for the most part. Maybe it was because the Uchiha kept grunting. He grunted when the blond put down the window, he grunted when the blond put up the window, he grunted when Naruto attempted to turn the radio, he even grunted when the said blond scratched his arm. Obviously, those grunts meant that he was doing something he wasn't supposed to do. But damn, did he have to grunt every second? Tan fingers itched to curse him to hell but he knew he would only receive a grunt in return, so he plastered a painful smile on his face and looked ahead.

"Must you drive so slow?" My dead grandmother can drive faster than you." He heard a voice beside him say. "I swear by the time we get there the place will be closed. It wouldn't surprise me if the day was even over…." His boss continued, looking out the window.

A blond eyebrow twitched in agitation.

"Did we even move?"

Twitch.

"Are you even driving?"

Twitch.

"Dobe, have you heard of the gas pedal?"

Twitch. Twitch. Twitch.

"You know what? Just pull ov-" The young heir was in for a surprise as he was flown back into his seat. His dear employee decided to make use of that gas pedal at 80mph. Naruto sped down the road, maneuvering passing cars as if he was a professional driver. It wasn't even ten minutes before they were parked in the Plaza's parking lot.

'_How was that?'_ Naruto signed to him, drawling out the last word with the swipe of his finger. Sasuke looked around, after he straightened up his seat. He was impressed but the blond didn't have to know that.

"Not bad. But you should know, running traffic lights are against the law, dobe. The traffic tickets are coming out of your paycheck, now come on. I don't want to be out here all day." Sasuke pulled out his expensive sunglasses, placing them over his eyes, and stepped out the vehicle as if the glasses would seal his true identity. Naruto followed, shaking his head.

'_I wouldn't have run lights if you weren't grunting every second, teme! I hope you know those glasses make you stand out more. Everybody is looking at you.'_ Naruto signed, not sure if his boss even understood what he said. How much sign language did Sasuke know anyway?

"Uzumaki" Sasuke called before lifting his hands. _'To be a mute, you sure do talk a lot. Quiet.'_ Sasuke finished with sign language. Naruto pursed his lips, glaring. Apparently, Uchiha-san has been studying.

"Alright, follow me." Sasuke ordered, now speaking. The blond raised a delicate eyebrow in question but followed nonetheless as his boss made his way through the crowd. There were so many people at the plaza that day that it was actually hard to keep up with the Uchiha. The heir walked fast and with people cutting through his path, Naruto lost sight of him a couple of times. He couldn't call out to the man to slow down, so he had to squeeze his way through people. It failed because he started to get sick as his heart started to race. He wasn't aware that he had a fear of crowds, but it seemed pretty evident right now, considering he only been here twice with his aunt. A tan hand fisted blond locks as blue eyes looked around. _Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke…_He couldn't see him.

Naruto backed up, bumping into people in the process. They glared, making remarks but he ignored them. _Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke…_ Naruto backed up all the way until he reached the crosswalk. It was then that he thought of texting the other male. Naruto pulled out his phone, flipping it open to texting. He was shaking so bad that he could barely text or even have a firm grasp on the phone. That was probably why it dropped on the ground when someone bumped into him. Blue eyes looked down, endlessly searching for his phone. The panic coursing through his body was almost suffocating as he looked around. His only way of communication was gone now and he was downtown in a plaza he knew nothing about. How dare Sasuke leave him out here like this? He didn't know whether to be angry or upset.

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto whirled around, to see teal eyes staring at him intently. At first, he didn't think the person next to him said anything but why else would the other male be staring. The blond grimaced, hating to deal with the fact that he couldn't speak. Naruto moved a hand to his throat and mouth and shook his head. He then closed his right hand, circling it over his chest as a _'sorry'_ gesture.

The other seemed to catch on, but appeared to be still thinking.

"Are you deaf?" (1) He asked slowly. Naruto shook his head. He pointed to his ears, nodding that he could hear.

"I see. Are you lost?" The man asked, adjusting his black hat. Naruto could see small tuffs of red hair sticking out and slowly nodded his head. He had never seen a redhead before. "Where were you planning to go? Text it on my phone." The man handed him a fancy black flip phone. Naruto nodded, texting the words in a message.

'_Parking lot, near the entrance.' _It read.

"The parking lot? That was where I was heading. If you would like, you can follow me." Naruto nodded, but seemed distracted by the crowd. "You can grab onto my sleeve, so you don't get lost." Blue eyes seem to debate the offer before a tan reached out towards him. Naruto would have grabbed him if he wasn't harshly pulled back by his other arm. He was so caught off guard that he lost footing and almost feel backwards. _Ohh…this is going to hurt._ Blue eyes closed tightly, waiting for the pain that was sure to ensue to find that he was still standing up. Two hands were under his arms, holding him up.

"Damn it Naruto!" The man behind him cursed. _Huh?_ Naruto straightened up quickly, turning around to meet dark eyes—scratch that, angry dark eyes. He didn't know why that bastard was so angry when he was the one who should be angry! His boss shouldn't have walked so fast and then he wouldn't have got lost.

'_You!'_ Naruto signed, poking the other male in the chest. _'Should not be angry! You lost me, you bastard!'_ The blond was livid, if the color was his face wasn't enough to tell.

"What? Me?" Sasuke shouted incredulously. "You got lost on your own…even though I don't see how that is even possible!"

'_You walk to fast! How can anybody keep up with you?' _Naruto turned away in a huff, crossing his arms. He didn't care if he pissed of Sasuke even more.

"Uzumaki, don't turn away from me!" The Uchiha fumed. Naruto looked back, sticking his tongue out at the older male. "You want me to leave you out here? Huh? All alone?" Sasuke threatened, causing Naruto to turn back around, glaring.

'_Then leave me! I will get somebody else to help me.'_

"Like who?" Sasuke scoffed.

'_The one who was helping me before you showed up!'_ The blond pointed behind him, but Sasuke couldn't see who from the angle.

"It's not like they can help you! You can't talk!" Naruto stepped back as if he had been slapped. For some reason, that comment hurt him. Blue eyes looked around to see surrounding people staring at him, since Sasuke basically shouted his disability to the whole world. People were even staring at Sasuke and taking pictures. It's not every day you see a famous heir in the town plaza, arguing with a mute.

Naruto turned around, pushing his way through the crowd. He didn't know how far he went but he knew he didn't want to see Sasuke. He didn't want to see anyone and now, he didn't even have his phone to text his aunt.

"Naruto." (2) The blond stopped, noticing the voice was different. It was the redhead from earlier. The one who was going to help get to the parking lot. Stupid Sasuke made him forget all about the other man. Now he kind of felt bad for ignoring him.

The blond closed his fist, circling it over his chest, signaling that he was sorry.

"No, it's fine. Are you alright?" The voice was bland, but the teal eyes seemed to show that he really cared. Naruto waved his hand in a 'so-so' manner and held out his right palm, tapping it with his left index finger, as a sign for texting.

"I'm sorry…I don't understand." Naruto made a 'Y' with his right hand, holding it to his ear. "Phone?" The redhead pulled out his phone, showing it to the other. The blond nodded appreciatively, and held out his hand. He figured the fastest way to communicate was to text on the man's phone.

'_I'm sorry you had to see that. That man was my boss but he is such a bastard. So, can you help me please? I need a ride to the hospital. I would call for a ride but my phone is missing and I can't remember phone numbers well.'_

"The hospital? Are you not alright?" The red head stepped closer, teal eyes analyzing him.

'_Oh yes, I'm fine. My aunt works at the hospital and I think it is closer than my house.'_

"I see, so that man was your boss?"

'_Unfortunately, hard to believe he treats his employees so rudely, yes?'_

"Why do you work for him?"

'_Well, the pay is good and sometimes, he isn't such a bastard. On his good days, he is actually pretty cool. Don't tell him I ever said that though. I swear it would go right to his head.' _Naruto typed, rolling his eyes. The hat wearing man nodded, leading the way.

"Follow me. The parking lot is not far from here."Naruto nodded happily, following his newfound help. Too bad it was short lived. Someone decided to shout his name.

"Naruto!" Blue eyes looked back, seeing his raven haired boss. Naruto glared, and sped up his walking. "Naruto! Don't make me follow you!"

Teal eyes looked over at the blond with a question glance which Naruto shook his head '_no_'. They were not stopping to talk to that bastard_._

"You are not honestly going to leave the car I lent you out here, are you?" Sasuke yelled. At this, the blond did turn around, hardening his gaze on the brunet.

"_It wasn't like you were actually going to let me borrow it! You were probably just fooling me!" _Naruto firmly pointed at his chest, only to feel a hand land on his shoulder.

"You want me to get rid of him?" The red head asked, narrowing his eyes. Naruto shook his head, ignoring the change in tone from his companion. "Does he even understand what you are saying?" The blond shook his head '_yes_', looking at the raven.

"You think I would waste my time just fooling with you! Have you forgotten who I am? I don't have time to fool around!" Sasuke crossed his arms.

'_Whatever I'm leaving!'_

"I didn't come out here for myself. I came out here for you! Damnit Naruto, do you think I freely walk around in the plaza? Honestly, tell me why do you think we are here?"

Naruto watched Sasuke slowly walk up to him, stopping a few feet away. Dark eyes glanced at his companion, lingering longer than necessary.

'_I don't know. It's not like you care about me! You threatened to leave me out here.'_

"You're right Uzumaki. I don't care," Naruto clenched his fists, turning away only to stop midway when the Uchiha continued talking. "I walked through crowds of disgusting people because I don't care. I had to take of my glasses, showing myself to the world because I don't care. I make a public outburst in the middle of town plaza because I don't care. I'm following you because I don't care. You're right, I don't care."

Blue eyes widened, as the blond stood stunned, before the raven. He couldn't believe Sasuke blurted all that out and basically admitted that he cared. Maybe this was his apology but damn, he didn't think the male would go all out. There were other ways of expression like a simple '_sorry_' and now he felt bad for making his boss worry. Why in the end does he always feel bad? Naruto looked down, as the guilt ate him inside.

"Naruto." The blond slowly looked up to see Sasuke start to move his hands. He figured it was because he didn't the red-heard to hear.

'_Who's that guy?' _His boss signed. Naruto looked to his side to see the hat-wearing red head still standing there, staring pointedly at the Uchiha. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know his name.

'_I don't know…I never asked his name.' _Naruto rubbed his sheepishly, offering a weak smile.

'_So, you were going to leave with a nameless person?' _Sasuke glared, staring openly at the other male. The guy looked familiar but he couldn't tell with that oversized hat.

'_I was going to ask eventually!' _Naruto defended.

'_Baka, are you trying to get yourself Kidnapped?'_

'_No! He was helping me!'_

'_You couldn't call someone for help?'_

'_No…I lost my phone. I was texting you and it fell on the ground. I think someone kicked it.' _He replied guiltily.

'_You lost your phone?' _The glaring eyes were back on him.

'_I'm sorry! It wasn't my intention.' Sasuke _shook his head, not wanting to hear excuses.

'_Let's go we've wasted enough time already.' _Naruto frowned.

'_Where are we going?' _Sasuke didn't respond. He just turned in the opposite direction, ignoring the blond and the glaring redhead.

Naruto shook his fist at his boss, wishing he could scream '_bastard_'. He then turned to the man next to him and apologized for the third time that day. He swore he felt like a husband with a complicated spouse by how many times he and the Uchiha argued.

"It's fine. So you are alright now?" Teal eyes locked on his and Naruto nodded, fingering something in his palm. He completely forgot. He had the red head's phone! Naruto quickly typed a message on the device.

'_Thanks so much for your help! I'm embarrassed you had to see that. It appears I worked out things with my boss, so I will be leaving with him. Can I get your name by chance?' _Naruto handed the phone back to other male, who smirked in response.

"It was nothing. Here." The red head pulled a business card out of his pocket, handing it to him. "Let's keep in touch." Naruto nodded and watched in awe as a black Cadillac pulled up behind him. "Take care." Then he was gone; the car leaving faint smoke in its trail.

The blond waved and turned around to Sasuke watching with mild interest, and something else he couldn't name. Oh well, it must not had been important since the other male didn't say anything.

"Come on, dobe. I'm not standing out here all day." Sasuke called as he started walking away. "You better hurry up, before you get lost again. I'm not dealing with a missing dobe again." Naruto ran to catch up, poking the other man in the shoulder.

'_Then you shouldn't lose me.'_

"I didn't know it was possible to lose a grown man…but then again your thinking capabilities are slow…" Sasuke smirked.

'_You bastard!'_

"Now is that anyway to talk to your boss?" Sasuke smirked. "Would you like me to make today '_Fire Naruto day_'? I know how much you like those days." He teased. Blue eyes widened in horror before shaking his head 'no'. He wasn't lying when he said he hated those days.

"I see…then follow like a good employee." Sasuke ordered causing the blond to glare, still he followed nonetheless. However, the whole time he couldn't stop thinking of the new man he met today. The name had a familiar ring to it like he heard it before but wasn't sure where. He was definitely going to look it up once he got back to the office.

Eyeing Sasuke for good measure, he looked down at the card again, twisting it in his fingers.

_Sabaku Gaara_.

It had a familiar ring indeed.

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Reviews are appreciated :)

**1. Deaf people can still understand you without hearing you, for example, lip reading. Gaara figured that could be the case.**

**2. He heard Sasuke shout the blond's name. He didn't guess.**

**Ochlophobia is the fear of crowds. I decided to add some of Naruto's fears in there because I suffer from so many phobias! It's like the anxiety attacks never end! Then some Gaara action! Also, can anyone guess why Sasuke took Naruto to the plaza? Well anyways, hope you enjoyed!**


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